Great White North
by myownmind
Summary: Sequel to Earthquake. Johnny and Roy fly to Saskatchewan for a conference. While there they reunite with an old friend and have to survive another natural disaster, this time prairie style.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! There's just a few things I have to let you know for this story to make sense. First of all this story is dedicated to mstaz308. She's the one who pushed me to get back to writing Emergency. I watch the tv show every morning before I go to work (yeah, sad huh?) and was missing dragging Johnny and Roy into my world. Thanks for the ideas and the nudge, I hope you enjoy it!_

_Secondly, the story is a follow up to Earthquake. You don't have to read that story first, after all it's 80 chapters long, but you do need to know that in that story Roy is not married. It made writing a whole lot easier. Also, the boys from Station 51 met and befriended a young Canadian woman named Chris from Moose Jaw. While it's been a while and the guys have lost contact with her she will still make an appearance in the next chapter._

_Lastly, I do not own John Gage, Roy DeSoto or any of the other characters from Emergency, I just like to borrow them on occasion and then put them back where I found them. Maybe._

_Thanks for reading!_

_Susanne_

CHAPTER ONE

"Where are we going again?" Johnny asked as he and his partner, Roy DeSoto, placed their bags on the scales at LAX.

"Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan," Roy responded. He nodded his thanks to the ticket agent and took the ticket she offered him. Beside him, Johnny also took his ticket.

"Bless you," Johnny said, a smile on his lips. He knew his partner hadn't sneezed but it sure the hell had sounded like he had. Slapping his partner on the shoulder, the two men headed toward the gate.

"I've been told it's somewhere in Canada. I didn't take the time to look it up in the atlas though," Roy admitted. Getting through security was easy, both men only had a small carryon bag. He didn't envy the baggage handlers putting their other bags on the plane. Lugging their equipment around with the squad was easy enough, but by hand for any distance tired even them out.

"Are we going there to do demonstrations?" Johnny asked. Captain Stanley had given him all of the paperwork for their little excursion north but the young paramedic hadn't bothered to read it. That was one of Roy's responsibilities, to read reports and stuff and tell Johnny what he needed to know from them. He'd rather be spending his time camping, fishing or reading medical journals that pertained to being a paramedic.

"Didn't you read the pamphlets before you signed up for this?" Roy asked, barely disguising the irritation in his voice. Sometimes the younger man drove him to distraction. Glancing at his dark haired partner, Roy grinned despite himself. Of course Johnny Gage hadn't read the information. Why had he even bothered to ask? "It's a symposium. We're sharing ideas and comparing our equipment. Maybe we can improve our effectiveness and that of our Canadian counterparts."

"Does Canada have paramedics? I've always had visions of Eskimos and dog sleds when I think of the Great White North," Johnny said as the two men took their assigned seats. The commercial flight was fairly crowded but thankfully, there wasn't anyone else in the paramedics' row so they could spread out a bit.

"I think they prefer to be called 'Inuit', Johnny. I'm not too sure on the dog sleds though."

OOOOO

The plane ride was calm and seemed to last forever. Flying above the cloud cover made watching the landscape they were crossing impossible. Which made for a fairly boring flight, even with the attractive, single young flight attendant that Johnny kept flirting with. Ignoring his partner's irritating attempts to get the woman's number, Roy spent most of the flight reading journals, magazines, anything he could get his hands on.

"The 'fasten seat belts' sign has now been turned on," the older flight attendant announced from the front of the plane. "We will be landing in Regina, Saskatchewan in five minutes. Please put your trays and seats into the upright position and thank you for flying with us today."

"I thought we were going to Moose Jaw," Johnny said as he settled back into his seat and fastened the belt. The flight attendant was busy going from passenger to passenger, making sure everything was in order for the landing, she didn't have time to listen to his fascinating stories anymore. Pity, he thought she was finally showing interest in him.

"If you'd read the travel itinerary you'd know that we land in Regina, rent a car and drive to Moose Jaw. Apparently there isn't a big enough runway for anything but fighter jets and private air planes where we're going," Roy stated. He was trying to repack his carryon bag. Somehow the stuff he'd put into it this morning no longer fit.

"Oh, okay," Johnny responded as he looked out the window. Since he was in the aisle seat, this resulted in him leaning across Roy. Giving up on putting things away neatly, the older paramedic sat back long enough to let his partner look and then began shoving things in his bag indiscriminately.

"Damn but this place is flat," Johnny stated. He'd moved out of Roy's way but was still looking at the landscape beyond the small pane of glass. They had descended beyond the level of the cloud cover. Turning in his seat, Roy gazed outside too. Johnny was right. Spread out before him was a patchwork of fields that looked suspiciously like a quilt for as far as the eye could see.

"You're not kidding. It would make fighting brush fires easier," Roy said. The quilt disappeared as the plane continued to descend. Now all Roy could see was what he assumed was Regina off the right wing of the plane.

"What brush?" Johnny scoffed. He'd turned away from the window, content that he'd seen all there was to see.

"Building fires wouldn't be much of a problem either," Roy breathed. Staring at the skyline of the city, Roy was immediately struck by the fact that except for some tall commercial/office buildings in what he assumed as the center of town, most other buildings were less than five stories tall. "Wow, is this place small."

OOOOO

The plane landed without incident and before they knew it, the two paramedics were walking down a set of stairs to the ground floor of the Regina International Airport. Neither man was impressed after the sprawl of LAX. The air port had two floors. The top floor was for passengers to get on planes and get off planes. Also there was a small restaurant and gift shop. The main floor was filled with the baggage carousels, air line desks and car rental agencies.

"Well, we don't have to worry about getting lost, do we?" Johnny quipped as they reached the main floor, their carryon bags slung over their shoulders.

"You go find a cart for the luggage and I'll go rent us a car. I'll meet you back at the carousel," Roy responded, choosing not to take the bait. Not waiting to make sure Johnny had heard him, the blond paramedic headed over to the nearest car rental counter. They were all the same after all.

"Sure, no problem," Johnny said. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around. It took a minute to locate the carts. When he did, Johnny realized they were disappearing in a hurry. Rushing forward, he slipped through the other passengers, barely acknowledging their presence until he had a cart firmly clutched in one hand. Stepping back to pull the metal cart out of the last remaining one, Johnny accidently stepped on a man's foot.

"Excuse me," the man said before Johnny even had a chance to respond. Then the grey haired older man moved out of his way until he had his cart free from the other one. Satisfied the younger man wasn't going to step on him again, the man reached out to take the last cart.

"Sorry," Johnny said, glancing at the man. The accident had been his fault for not paying attention to his surroundings. It floored him that the other man had taken responsibility.

Trying to not get into any more trouble, Johnny took a position by the carousel and waited for the seven bags that he and Roy had brought were sent out. The biophone was the most obvious with its red hart shell covering as were the other pieces of equipment. It was the two bags of clothes that took the longest to come off the plane. By the time he had all of the bags perched precariously on the cart, Roy was at his shoulder.

"Is that everything?" Roy asked. He'd all ready counted the bags and knew it was but he wanted to make sure.

"Yep. Lead the way," Johnny said. "You do know how to get us to Moose Jaw, don't you?"

"The rental agent gave me directions and a map. We're good to go," Roy responded, showing the younger paramedic the map and keys he had clutched in one hand. "Let's get going."

_A/N: So, what do you think? If there's any interest at all I'll keep writing, otherwise I'll just do it for my own amusement and updates will be only as frequent as my muse hits me. _

_Thanks again for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! Wow! I'm truly amazed at the response this story has gotten! Who knew there were so many Canucks on this site or so many people who still love Johnny and Roy as much as I do! Amazing! Thank you so much for all your reviews and alerts. I hope to do you proud!_

_OK. First thing, I had to admit that I've grabbed two characters from another show for this story. I've added Tobey Logan and his partner Oz from 'The Listener'. As always, I don't own the characters, I'm not making any money, I just couldn't help myself. I've dragged them into the 1970's so they might not appreciate me but what the hell._

_Second thing is I've taken a little poetic license with the City of Moose Jaw. Yes, I live here so I know it pretty well but I can't remember exactly what it was like back in the '70's so I might have a few things wrong. Hopefully not much though. In later chapters I'm going to be explaining some of the history of Moose Jaw and area. All of that will be true. I did the research for a report I wrote in 2001. Believe it or not! _

_Anyway, enough. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you seemed to the first one. Please, keep letting me know how I'm doing. It keeps me motivated!_

_Susanne_

_P.S. Thanks to luvstoread for letting me know that unsigned reviews aren't allowed. I'm going to try to change that._

CHAPTER TWO

Stepping outside the Regina International Airport, the two LA paramedics stopped for a moment and took deep breaths. "What is that?" Roy asked. There were so many scents floating by on the moderate warm breeze that brushed by his face.

"That, my friend, is good, old fashioned fresh air," Johnny responded, a huge grin spreading across his face. "You've been in LA for too long."

Trying to ignore the smug look on his friend's face, Roy headed for the parking lot where the rental cars were stored. As he covered the distance he was acutely aware of the sweet smell of petunias, evergreen trees, overturned soil, warm asphalt and car exhaust. The last two were nearly overwhelmed by the first three so he barely noticed them. The groundskeeper for the airport was kept busy keeping the trees and flowers just so. Roy had to admit he was impressed at the neatness of the grounds.

"It's kind of warm," Johnny stated. He'd broken out in a sweat pushing the cart with all their bags on it. "I thought Canada was supposed to be cold."

"It is only the end of September," Roy responded as he finally located their car. "I don't think it's time to break out the igloos just yet."

"You never know," Johnny responded, a crooked grin on his lips.

Within minutes the two men had the luggage all packed away and were pulling out of the parking lot, heading for Lewvan Drive. "You're sure you know where we're going, right?" Johnny asked suddenly as they took a right hand turn onto the divided road. They were moving away from the tall buildings in the center of the Queen City, heading towards the wheat fields on their right. He wanted to make sure they weren't going to get lost.

"Trust me. We'll be fine," Roy responded, hiding a grin. Johnny hated it when he wasn't giving directions.

OOOOO

Fifteen minutes later, the two LA firefighters had left Regina behind and were out in the middle of the largest plain either man could ever remember seeing. Roy was finding it kind of hard to keep the car below the speed limit. The double highway seemed so level and straight that he could go on forever.

"Damn but this place is flat," Johnny said as he looked out the passenger window. The heat was bad enough that they'd had to crank the windows down despite the lateness of the afternoon. That simple fact still floored the younger man. He knew he was a victim of his own prejudices but it was hard not to be.

"Well, not entirely," Roy responded. "We just went through a dip."

"Yeah, big deal," Johnny scowled. They'd passed through what appeared to be a small valley created by a creek. There were houses on either side of the highway but still, the depression hardly amounted to much.

"Well, it can't be all that flat," Roy said. "We can't see Moose Jaw from here."

"What a shock," Johnny replied. Instead of grousing about the lack of landscape features, the young paramedic turned his attentions away from what was in front of him to what was happening out the side window. It must be harvest time. Huge machines, probably combines, were snaking their way through the fields on either side of the highway. The size of the things amazed him. But then, to clear fields the size of the ones they were passing, the machinery had to be big.

OOOOO

After what felt like an eternity but was in fact only about ten minutes, the two paramedics passed by a small town and up and over a large bridge. Below the bridge, they could see railway tracks. As they resumed their westward trek, Johnny noticed something.

"Where did those hills come from?" the dark haired man asked. He'd been so busy watching the harvesting going on around them that he hadn't been aware of the dark shapes on the horizon.

"I'm sure there's a geologic reason for them to be there, I'm just not sure what it is," Roy replied. He'd noticed the darkness on the horizon a few minutes before but hadn't thought to bring it to his partner's attention. "Not so flat now, is it?"

"No, I guess not," Johnny replied. The hill seemed to stretch as far south as he could see. To the north, though, they appeared to disappear. Looking to the north, Johnny noticed a series of buildings with huge plumes of smoke coming from them and numerous white mounds of what he supposed was dirt piled up on the east side. "What do you suppose that is?"

"I'm not sure," Roy admitted as he glanced out the passenger window. "I forgot to get a travel brochure before we left Regina."

"Very funny," Johnny stated. "I just hope we get there soon. I'm hungry."

OOOOO

Soon enough they found that Saskatchewan wasn't flat at all. Along the north side of the double highways they soon saw a deep valley come from further north and then run along the road. Soon, this was joined by smaller valleys that appeared on the south side of the highway that were coming off of gentle hills. These valleys joined up with the main valley, obviously the result of some sort of water runoff. It was just as obvious, though, that the water hadn't run there in a great many years.

"Finally," Johnny said as they passed by a highway sign that said 'Moose Jaw next four exits' on it. He was so hungry he was willing to eat anything that was put in front of him.

"It's only been forty minutes since we left the air port," Roy said. He knew their hotel was off of Main Street. The car rental agent hadn't been all that helpful on which of the exits would get him there. Looking at the expanse of the place out his window, though, Roy figured, how lost could they get?

The first exit was named Manitoba Expressway. That didn't seem likely to lead them to Main Street. The second exit didn't seem to have a name so Roy passed it by. The third exit announced itself as Main Street North. Relieved, he took the off-ramp.

"It sure is small," Johnny said. He'd been watching the outskirts of the city as they'd passed by. Compared to Los Angeles, this place was miniscule. Why the paramedic symposium had been held here was beyond him.

"For once I'm grateful," Roy responded. Off to the right, he could make out the sign for their hotel. At least they wouldn't be driving around looking for the place. Small or not, he didn't think he wanted to spend any more time than necessary listening to his partner complain about how hungry he was. "Let's check in and then go to the restaurant."

OOOOO

The food was surprisingly good and the prices weren't bad either. By the time they were finished eating, though, it was well after seven o'clock. Roy wasn't sure about his partner, but he was ready for a quiet night of watching TV. Exploring could wait until tomorrow. They were finished for the day by five pm the first day and four pm the second. Tomorrow night there was going to be a big get together and banquet around eight but that still gave them some time to wander.

"So, what now?" Johnny asked as he rubbed his too full belly. The restaurant was nice and clean but was starting to fill up with late arriving guests. He figured most of them were paramedics too because the convention was being held at the hotel but he wasn't feeling particularly social at the moment.

"Some TV and bed. I'm exhausted," Roy stated. He didn't even wait for Johnny response. He had the room key. If the younger man didn't follow him, he could knock on the door. If Roy was sleeping light enough he might hear him, might.

OOOOO

The conference turned out to be quite interesting. The Canadians had made innovations that Americans hadn't considered and vice versa. Johnny and Roy were somewhat surprised, however, to find that there were a few female paramedics in the bunch. Both of them came from Canada and both were married, which was a blow to Johnny. He was all for creating better international relations.

"So, what's there to see around here?" Johnny asked a young paramedic by the name of Tobey. While Tobey was in fact Canadian, he wasn't from Saskatchewan. The detail seemed to have completely escaped Johnny. It was the end of the day. They had three hours until the banquet started. After a good night's sleep, neither man particularly wanted to spend any more time than necessary in the hotel room.

"I hear there's a shopping mall just across the train tracks," Tobey said. He'd all ready asked the same question of their waitress. Being from Toronto, Ontario, he had no idea what the place had to offer. "There's a couple of bars further downtown but I doubt we'll have time to check them out."

"Nah, bars aren't really my thing anyway," Johnny replied. "Let's go check out the mall. Maybe they have some good buys."

"On what?" Roy had to ask. Johnny wasn't exactly well known for his enthusiasm for shopping. The fact that he wanted to check out a mall instead of a bar was surprising to him.

"Anything," was Johnny's response. Tobey's partner, Oz, had joined the three men. While he wasn't much into shopping either, it was better than the small pool the hotel sported, especially since he'd forgotten to bring swimwear.

"Okay, let's go."

OOOOO

The mall was small. It was formed like a small 't'. At one end there was a large Woolco department store. The body of the 't' was filled with numerous smaller stores, including a Shoppers Drug Mart and a Consumer's Distributing. Along the cross of the 't' was a restaurant, Smitty's Pancake House.

The smaller stores were interesting enough but they had little merchandise that held the four men's interest. The Consumers' Distributing amused them, though. The thought of looking through catalogues for the items they wanted, filling out a form and taking it to the sales clerks behind the long counter was foreign to them. The fact that anyone would buy stuff without seeing it first blew them away.

Once the novelty of that wore off and they'd finished buying the items they'd forgotten to pack at the Shoppers, the group made their way towards Woolco. It was almost seven o'clock all ready and they needed to go back and get changed before the semi-formal banquet. They weren't going to have a lot of time to check out the wares in the large store.

Walking through the mall entrance, Roy was expecting to be bored in a hurry. As much as the younger three men found things funny, he didn't necessarily agree. As the trio moved off towards the mens' wear department, Roy noticed two aisle where the shelving at been stripped off. A woman was working in the first aisle. Dressed in black jeans and a t-shirt, there was something about her that seemed vaguely familiar.

Not aware that he was staring, Roy continued to watch the woman as she examined a sheet of paper before turning to the first section. She was barely over five feet tall. She was definitely not slim but Roy could see from watching her haul the shelves around that she was certainly strong. She had long brown hair that had been carelessly pulled up into a pony tail. As if sensing the older paramedic's presence for the first time, she turned to face him.

"Can I he..." the words died on her lips. Recognition spread across her face, followed immediately by a large dazzling smile. "Roy? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

"Chris?" Roy breathed, shocked. As soon as he'd seen that smile memories of the harrowing earthquake in Los Angeles three years ago had surfaced. Along with the images of death, destruction and desperation, was the woman in front of him. It had been her first time visiting LA. Despite the insanity that had followed the devastating natural disaster, the woman had been a great help. Unfortunately, as their lives returned to normal, they'd lost touch. Now he knew why the name of the city had sounded so familiar. "Wait until Johnny hears about this."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"I can't believe it," Chris said. Despite the fact that she was at work, the woman hadn't been able to keep from giving the LA paramedic a bear hug. It felt so very good to see the blond man again. Stepping back, she looked at the man more closely. "What are you doing in Canada?"

"There's a convention up at the Heritage Inn. Johnny and I were sent to represent California and Nevada. It's so good to see you," Roy responded, a huge smile on his face as well.

"Johnny's here too? Where is he?" Chris asked, looking around. Of the two paramedics, Roy had been her favourite but she still really enjoyed the younger man's company as well.

Searching the story, they finally found Johnny with the other two paramedics. They were in the men's wear department making fun of some of the styles. It was the 70's, there were some really bad clothes available.

"Look who I found," Roy said as Chris came around him. The three men were in one of the aisles. Holding up a wildly tie-dyed shirt, Johnny turned toward his partner. Shock registered on his face when he saw Chris standing in front of him.

"That's a really good look for you," Chris stated, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice. "You'd blend in with the rest of the hippies down in Los Angeles."

"Oh my God!" Johnny said as he dropped the shirt and pulled the woman into a hug. He hadn't realized how much he missed her until he'd seen her. The young paramedic still had nightmares once in a while about the trials and tribulations they'd all gone through. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I work here," Chris responded when Johnny finally put her down. "Which reminds me, I'd better get back to it. How long are you in town for?"

"The conference is over tomorrow. We head back to LA on Monday," Johnny replied. While they talked, Tobey and Oz continued to check out the clothes. Chris, however, started looking around. She was worried about getting in trouble for not working. Not that she really was, the other workers spent a lot more time screwing around than she ever did. It was just that she was being paid to work, so she felt she had to give her employers their money's worth.

"That's great! I'm off for the next three days. Would you like me to show you around a bit tomorrow afternoon?" Chris asked. It felt surreal standing in the middle of a store talking to the two men that helped her survive the most horrific thing she'd even experienced. She almost expected the shelves to start tumbling down around them and the floor to start shaking.

"Sure. We're off at 4pm. Do you want to meet us at the hotel?" Roy asked. He loved the idea of spending some time with the woman.

"What is there to see here, anyway?" Oz asked, tiring of the clothes.

"Oh, sorry, this is Tobey and Oz. They're paramedics out of Toronto," Johnny said, introducing the men. After shaking hands with each of the men, Chris looked around again.

"I'd better get back to work. I'll take you to see the Wild Animal Park and Joyner's. You two are welcome to come if you'd like," Chris responded.

"That sounds great," Johnny said, having no real idea what either place was.

"All right, I'll get at the Heritage at 4pm."

OOOOO

True to her word, Chris was waiting in the small lobby of the hotel at the designated time. Oz and Tobey had begged off. As thrilling at the two activities sounded, they'd decided to spend the evening in the bar attached to the hotel. Maybe they'd find some young locals to help them pass the time or at least spend the expense money they'd been given.

"So," Johnny said as they were headed out to the parking lot. "What exactly is a 'Joyners'?"

"Well, it's one of the earliest stores here in Moose Jaw. It's really quite cool. You'll see when we get there," Chris responded, grinning at the paramedic. It felt so good to see the two men. She'd really missed them but life had gotten busy and finding time to write letters became too hard.

"All right, lead the way," Roy said. He followed the woman to a grey jeep. "Nice car."

"I know. Not very environmentally friendly, especially with the energy crisis but when winter comes, it sure comes in handy," Chris replied. Unlocking the doors, Chris climbed behind the wheel. Yes, her jeep ate way too much gas but it sure was fun to drive! "Now, we're heading down Main Street, make sure you watch carefully or else you might miss it!"

"You're kidding, right?" Johnny asked from the back seat, Roy had climbed into the front.

"Yeah, I am. Moose Jaw is one of the three largest cities in Saskatchewan but we still only have about 34,000 people. It's small but it's just the right size for me," Chris said.

"Wow, we could fit this entire place into one of LA's suburbs. How many people are there in the province?" Roy asked. It amazed him. Even after travelling between Regina and Moose Jaw and seeing the occasional farms, he'd assumed that the place was more densely populated than that.

"About a million people in 230,000 square miles. Yeah, again, just the way I like it," Chris said. She grinned at Roy. "Kind of explains my responses in LA, huh?"

"Yes, yes, it does," Johnny chuckled in the back seat. They were travelling down a double lane street. The buildings were mostly older but seemed to be well maintained. Except for the license plates with the ridiculously long name on them, Johnny thought it looked like pretty much any small town in Middle America.

At the bottom of the street there was a large railway station that blocked the end of it. While it seemed a little odd, the two paramedics held their tongues while Chris parallel parked her jeep on the last block. Looking around, Roy saw that they were parked in front of what appeared to be a large building. The architecture alone put it from the beginning of the century.

"Is this the place?" Johnny asked.

"Yep. Come on," Chris said as she climbed out of the driver's seat and headed for the front door. The door was primarily glass and wood. The windows were tall and angled. Stepping inside they found wooden floors and walls. The merchandise was of a higher quality than at Woolco, but that was to be expected.

"Quaint," Johnny said, looking at Chris out of the corner of his eye.

"Just watch," Chris said. Selecting a bundle of socks, she headed up to the cashier. Handing the woman behind the til the socks and some money, she grinned at the two men. Still a little mystified, they watched. The cashier rang the sale up, wrote the amount on a receipt, put the receipt and the money into a small metal box and placed the box on a set of cables.

Neither man had noticed until now that a set of tracks ran all the way around the ceiling of the building. Once the cashier let go of the box, it whizzed along the tracks up to a small cubby up in the top right corner of the room. A few seconds later, the metal box came screaming back down the tracks to stop behind the cash register. From it, the cashier retrieved the change from Chris's purchase. Handing over the money, the woman also handed Chris her socks now neatly wrapped in a bag.

"Cool," Johnny said as he admired the system more closely.

"Yeah, I think it's the last running one in all of Canada. While a little cheesy, I figured it was something you'd never seen before," Chris responded. She waited until the two men had asked all the questions that had come to mind. The cashier was used to this and was very good natured about it. Finally, the trio left and climbed back into the car.

"Where are we headed now?" Roy asked.

"The Wild Animal Park. I packed a picnic lunch. We'll go look at the animals and eat or vice versa. We'll how the mood takes us," Chris stated.

Quickly, Johnny and Roy realized that Moose Jaw was actually built on two hills with a low valley in between. The valley was filled with railway tracks for the Canadian Pacific Railway yards. One bridge crossed over the tracks while a subway on the eastern edge of town allowed the tracks to pass overhead. Chris chose the bridge because it was closest.

Within ten minutes they were pulling through the gates of the Wild Animal Park. The park was an obvious favourite among Moose Javians because the place was packed with families having barbecues, kids playing on the slides, swings and a huge metal horse that swayed back and forth. Also within the park were sets of cages in which were located monkeys of various shapes and sizes, racoons, a lion, goats, sheep, miniature horses as part of a petting zoo, and a huge pond in which they could see numerous species of waterfowl.

"Not exactly the LA zoo," Roy stated as they wandered around.

"No, it's had to be kept small. For the longest time the park was run by the Optimist club here in town. Only recently has the province and city become involved. I'm just glad that we can still come here. I know some of the cages are a little small, especially the lion's cage, but I still appreciate the place," Chris said.

The better part of an hour was spent on the other side of a small river where bird cages were located and larger cages for larger animals like elk, pronghorn, White tailed deer and even a zebra. By the time they returned to the jeep, all three of them were starving. The food was taken over to the nearest picnic table in a large clearing surrounded by trees and shrubs where several other families were also sitting at picnic tables scattered around.

"Where to now?" Johnny asked once they were finished.

"Well, are you willing to listen to a kind of brief history lesson?" Chris asked as she packed up the garbage from their meal.

The two men glanced at each other before Roy nodded his head. "Sure. What is it about?"

"First, we need to go up to the edge of the valley. Bear with me, okay?" Chris said as she headed back to the jeep. The weather was still very hot for this time of year. She was enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin but at the back of her mind warning bells tried to ring. The company was too much fun, though, she ignored them.

Following the road they'd used to get to there, Chris drove them to the top of the valley the park was located. The edge of the valley was a steep slope, almost 90 degree grade. Parking the car at the top, Chris climbed out and sat on the edge. Behind them was a row of houses, in front of them was the valley, the Canadian Forces Base further to the south of the city and land for as far as the eye could see. Even the hills to the west didn't really diminish the sense of scale.

Joining Chris on the ground, the two men turned to her expectantly.

"Okay. You've both heard about the Little Big Horn, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Roy responded.

"Well, after Sitting Bull and the Sioux decimated Custer and his soldiers, they traveled around the States for a while, trying to find some place safe. Finally, thanks to desperation and the treat of starvation, Sitting Bull led his people north to the land of the Great White Mother. He'd helped the Queen of England and was hoping to get land for a reserve here in Canada. You've heard all of this right?"

"Yes," Roy said, staring to wonder where the woman was going with this.

"You also know that Sitting Bull finally had to return to the States because of pressure from the American government. The Canadian government couldn't give his people a reserve without touching off an international incident and his people were starving. The soldiers had stopped the buffalo at the American border. There just wasn't enough food for all of them to scrounge off the land." Roy nodded again.

"What a lot of people don't know is that while Sitting Bull went back to the States, not all of his people followed him. In 1881, refugees from Little Big Horn came to Moose Jaw, to the valley we're sitting above to what was known then as 'The Turn'. This valley was, at that time, the only place where fresh water was available between Wascana Creek in Regina and Swift Current to the west. Riding a horse, a wagon or walking, that was a very long way. Also available in this valley was wood. Despite all the trees and shrubs you saw coming here from Regina, back then they didn't exist. The plants you saw have all been planted by settlers that came west to find their fortune. All of this made this valley a very important place for the First Nation tribes that surrounded this area.

"So, it was only natural, when Sitting Bull's people needed a place to go, they came here. The railroad was just coming through Moose Jaw so the men could find work, sometimes, and the women could work for the townspeople or sell wares to the travellers on the trains. It wasn't an easy living and no matter how bad things got, the people in the settlement in the valley refused help from the townspeople.

"Every year the refugees would spend their winters here and when the seasons began to change, they'd head southwest to Wood Mountain and spend their summers there. There were fewer settlers there so there was more grazing land for their horses and themselves. For thirty years this cycle continued. There was a well defined trail system that they followed back and forth, on foot, on horse or in their wagons. They'd set up their tents in the valley in the fall and pull them down come spring. Finally, after years of struggling, the Government of Canada realized that while the original refugees were in fact American citizens, the two generation of children that had been born since their arrival were not. In 1913, a reserve was finally set up for them at Wood Mountain. 1914 was their last pilgrimage. Even today, descendants of Sitting Bull's people live there," Chris said. She had to pause to take a drink of water. That was a lot more talking than she was used to doing.

"Wait, are you saying that Sitting Bull has been here?" Roy asked, not really believing the woman. What she was telling him went against everything he'd learned in school.

"No, unfortunately, we can't definitively prove that Sitting Bull actually came through here. The Turn was the easiest place to cross the Moose Jaw River and had been used for centuries before the Europeans came west but there was a more direct route to Fort Qu'Appelle where we know Sitting Bull went to speak to his friend, a North West Mounted Police officer who'd befriended him soon after he crossed the border. His people were starving and he would have probably taken the fastest route. So it makes more sense that he went the other way," Chris said.

"But, we do have proof that his niece, Molly, lived here and that one of his inner circle, Black Bull, was here as was an old Buffalo Soldier named Long Dog. He went by many names but that's my favourite. There were many others but those are the names that have always stood out for me. I have a copy of a census the Government of Canada did in 1901 that says at the top of it 'Sioux Refugee Camp' and lists 81 people living in the Turn that year. Some of the names are the same as people who were known to be at the Little Big Horn or their descendents. I just can't remember them off the top of my head. Some of them state that they were Sioux while some of the other nations were also represented. Just so you know, Sioux is a very general term. They actually prefer to be called the Lakota," Chris stated. "Sorry, was that too long winded? I just really wanted you to know how our two country's histories are intertwined."

"Wow," was the only thing Johnny could think to say. It was hard to believe but Chris was so certain.

"You know that isn't what our history books say," Roy responded.

"Yeah, I know. There's a monument at Wood Mountain Regional Park that says that all of Sitting Bull's people went back within a mile of the reserve. Yeah, I know," Chris said. Even here she was finding the heat of the day a little stifling. "Damn but it's hot."

"I was going to ask if this was usual for here," Roy said. It seemed like a much safer subject.

"No, it's not. I heard on the radio when I was coming to get you that hot air from Texas is responsible for this. Usually it's at least ten degrees cooler. This is what we call an Indian summer," Chris said. Standing up, she wiped the dirt and grass off her butt. Turning to the west, toward the hills, she saw dark clouds. "I guess it was inevitable."

"What's inevitable?" Johnny parroted. Images from the past were still playing through his mind's eye. The fact that Sitting Bull's people had lived just a few short yards away absolutely blew him away.

"Well, whenever it gets this hot this time of year, a storm inevitably follows," Chris said, waving her hand at the horizon. "There're dark clouds to the west, over the Missouri Coteau."

"The what?" Johnny asked, finally pulling his eyes away from the valley.

"Missouri Coteau, that's what those hills to the west are called, or the Dirt Hills. It's a remnant of the glaciers that used to cover this whole area. Regina used to be under a lake. Anyway, that's enough school for one day. Where would you like to go now?" Chris asked.

"Could we go down there and wander around for a while?" Johnny asked, indicating the valley floor. The Moose Jaw River wound its way through the valley floor. It was where the river took the most pronounced jog to the east, just below them, that Chris had called the Turn. He just had to go down there.

"Sure. Do you want to climb down Buzzy's Hill or drive the jeep down?" Chris asked.

"Climb, definitely climb," Johnny responded, a child like grin on his face.

"Sure," Chris said. Then they were making their way down to the valley. The next two hours were spent exploring the trees, the grasslands, and the steep cliff. Buzzy's Hill was the only section of the valley face that was vegetated. The rest was all clear dirt. Chris thoroughly enjoyed herself, as did the two paramedics, as she explained more of the history of the Turn. The water level was low enough on the river that she was able to show them where the old CPR dam was, where the original trail had existed before the CPR built over top of it.

The time passed quickly. Suddenly Saskatchewan didn't seem so boring after all. Before they realized it, the clouds were closer. Too close. Their fun was suddenly interrupted by the sound of thunder.

_A/N: Hi. Okay. I know this was a long chapter and a lot of history but I just had to get it out. I researched all of this, plus the Metis history of our area, which I didn't touch on, and had to share it. I admit I'm a little shaky on the dates, I was too lazy to get up and go find them again but I'm only out by a year if I'm out at all. Now that the 'sightseeing' portion of this story is over, we're heading into the action. I just hope I haven't lost you along the way. Please stay tuned for the next chapter, all hell breaks loose, honest._

_Susanne_


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

"We'd better get inside," Chris said as she looked up at the sky. She'd seen the dark clouds on the horizon but had been having such a good time she'd ignored them. Now the sky was quickly turning black as a huge bank of clouds overtook the sun.

"Where should we go?" Roy asked as he looked around. On one side there was the steep incline they'd climbed down and the jeep on top. On the other side were trees, shrubs and the river. There really wasn't anywhere to go.

"We need to get up to my jeep. I live here on south hill. We may have time to reach my house before the storm hits," Chris said as she quickly started to climb. She knew they were going to get wet. Large rain drops were all ready falling. She just hoped they could get to the vehicle before they were completely soaked.

The rain drops had fallen slowly at first. In less than a minute, the large, slow drops changed to small, hard drops as the wind came up and blew them into their faces. Within seconds, the three of them were soaked. So much for hoping. By the time they reached the top, they were all breathless and beyond caring about being wet.

As Chris fumbled with the door knob, the rain changed again. Instead of the sting of too hard rain drops, hail began falling on her jeep. Scrambling inside, she realized they'd waited too long.

"Is this normal?" Roy asked as sheets of rain and ice slid down the window beside him. The sound of the precipitation was almost deafening, the LA paramedic had to raise his voice to be heard.

"For a thunder storm? Yeah. But we're not going to make my house. We need to get below, off the top of this cliff. Hold on, this isn't going to be a lot of fun," Chris said. Even with the wiper blades going full on they couldn't keep up with the onslaught. This was bad, very bad.

Starting the jeep, Chris inched forward. She couldn't see more than a few feet beyond the hood. The wind was whipping the rain around it was coming in almost vertical. Even though she knew where they were, travelling along the top of Valleyview Drive racked her nerves.

The two paramedics took the time to put their seat belts on. They were used to storms but this one was even giving them pause. The violence of it was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time. The winds were buffeting the jeep as they reached the intersection that would lead them down into the valley. The vehicle swayed drunkenly as the wind changed direction again and again.

"I think this is more than a thunderstorm," Chris said as she turned onto 7th Ave to head into the valley. It was the safest place she could think to go. Just as they started down a new sound ripped through the darkness. Chris went still for a moment, fear crossing her face.

"What's that?" Johnny asked. The expression on the woman's face scared him worse than the storm.

"The sirens. It's to warn us if something really bad is coming. I think there's a tornado in this storm. We've got to get below." Chris wanted to gun the engine and streak to the bottom of the hill but the rain had turned the road into a river as it flowed downhill. Even with her jeep, they were in danger of being swept down into the river with the rest of the water.

"Will we be safe in the valley?" Roy asked. This was nuts, almost as bad as the earthquake Chris had experienced with them. Above the pounding on the roof and sides of the vehicle, the air raid sirens continued to wail. They added tension to an all ready tense situation. Roy wished they'd shut up.

"Safer than on top of the hill, I hope," Chris replied. "At home I know where to go. Out here I'm not too sure. I'm just hoping the tornado doesn't form in the valley. Then we'd be in real trouble."

"I always thought you were supposed to hide under an overpass or something," Johnny said.

"Even if that's true there aren't any near enough," Chris said. Unsure of where else to go she pulled off on the side of the road on the north side of the bridge that spanned the Moose Jaw River. Getting lower seemed like a good idea. Well, it wasn't an overpass but it would do. Then she tried to open her driver's door. The wind was shrieking against her vehicle that she couldn't even push the door open. Scared out of her wits, Chris turned to her two companions. She wasn't sure what to do.

"Does this happen often around here?" Roy asked. He'd tried his door with similar results. He got it open a full half inch before it slammed shut again, nearly breaking his arm.

Further conversation was impossible because of the thunderous noise of the wind, the rain, almost continual thunder and the beating of the rain against the metal skin of Chris's car. Instinctively, the trio hunkered down as close to the floor boards as they could get as the vehicle continued to be buffeted by the wind.

Unaware, Chris hand her hands over her ears and was screaming. She couldn't remember ever being so scared in her life. This was nothing compared to the earthquake. That had happened so suddenly that by the time she knew what was going on, it was over. This was completely different. It seemed to last forever and ever. The windshield of the vehicle cracked as a large limb from a tree ten feet away smashed against it. Then they were being showered with glass as another large piece of debris struck.

Chris and Roy were instantly covered in small cuts and bruises from the glass. That was followed instantly by more rain and smaller forms of debris. Roy moved to cover the woman's body with his own. It was an instinctive act. He hadn't the time to think about the consequences. Chris was too scared, too unaware of her immediate surroundings to notice. In the back seat, Johnny had pulled a blanket he'd found over top of him, it was the only protection he could find.

Just as suddenly as it had started, it all stopped. The pelting rain gradually gave way to slower, larger drops. That transitioned into little more than a moderate sun shower. The sirens continued to sound and the wind continued to blow but not at the same ferocity as before.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked as he carefully climbed off of Chris. He hurt. During the storm another large branch had come crashing into the jeep, winding up on Roy's shoulder and right arm. Grunting, the paramedic shoved the branch back out of the windshield. Gently, he rotated his arm to see if there was any damage. A sharp pain flashed through him.

"It looks like I should be asking you that question," Chris responded at the grimace that had passed over Roy's face. Shaking her head, she saw pieces of glass rain down on the seat between them. Damn but that was awful!

"I'm fine," Roy said as he tried to mask the pain. Looking out the shattered windshield, Roy was amazed by what he saw. The world around them that had been familiar just a few short minutes ago had changed almost beyond recognition.

Trees were uprooted, some twisted around on their stems, entire branches had been ripped off and most of the leaves were gone. Looking up at the sky, the dark, ominous clouds were rapidly moving south east. Behind them, the sky was white and grey as more clouds moved in. A very cool breeze was blowing in through the open window.

"I've got to get home," Chris said, starting up the jeep. She tried to ignore how badly her hands were shaking in the aftermath of such abject terror. She wasn't aware of the tracks of tears trailing down both sides of her face. All she knew was that she had to get home to check on her family.

OOOOO

The trip to Chris's house took much longer than it normally would. Chris had to pilot the vehicle around debris from the storm. Twice she had to abandon the street she was following because a tree had come down across it. During the trip, the two paramedics stared out the passenger windows at the damaged houses and trees. Despite the strength of the storm, all they could see were the broken branches and uprooted trees that they'd seen before. Also, thrown in every once in a while, were broken windows as a result of debris or ripped off shingles.

"It doesn't look like there's too much damage," Johnny said from the back seat. He was trying to make Chris feel better. Mostly, though, his attention kept wandering to his partner. Roy was still down playing his shoulder and arm but Johnny could all ready see a large bruise building under the skin of his lower arm.

"Tornados don't always stay on the ground, sometimes they jump around a lot. That could explain the differences in the amounts of damage," Chris stated matter of factly as she continued to pilot down a typical street. People were standing out on their lawns, talking with neighbours, surveying the damage or watching the sky, just in case. From what either man could see, no one had been seriously injured.

"What about the people in the park?" Roy asked. He was trying to distract himself from the building pain. Nothing appeared to be broken he didn't think but he'd definitely taken a hard hit. Being as subtle as he could, he ran his left hand over his body, just to make sure. While extremely tender, nothing creaked under his finger tips.

"I don't know," Chris admitted. All of her concentration was on getting home. Once she knew her family was safe she'd worry about the rest of the world. "We're almost there."

Pausing at an intersection long enough to make sure no one was coming, Chris continued through. The street she was now on only had houses on one side of it. The other side had a barbed wire fence around a field of grass. In the corner furthest from the dark clouds, two white/grey horses stood trembling, their backs towards the storm.

A huge sign passed through Chris as she scanned the four houses on the south side of the road. Parked in front of the second last one was a '74 blue Monte Carlo. The car appeared to be undamaged, as did the house. The street was so new that no trees had been planted yet so debris had been kept to a minimum.

"Let's go check on Mom and Dad, then we'll see if we can help," Chris said. Pulling the keys from the ignition, Chris bounded up the sidewalk to the front door. The house was a bi-level of modest size. What lawn there was had been carefully tended.

"You'd better let me check that," Johnny said. He'd stepped out of the back of the jeep and come around to Roy's door. His partner was carefully extracting himself from the front seat. Clearly, Roy was in pain. "Remember how bad it got after the earthquake."

"Fine," Roy grated as he finally climbed out and followed Chris into the house. Johnny was right, he needed to make sure he was okay before heading off to try to help the people injured in the storm.

Stepping inside the house, Roy found himself on a landing. Two sets of stairs, one leading up, the other down, came off the landing. Up the stairs he could see Chris talking rapidly with an older woman and a man with a cane.

"Mom, Dad, this is Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto. You remember them from my stories about the earthquake in Los Angeles. I'm beginning to think that the three of us shouldn't be within several miles of each other. Natural disasters seem to find us when we're together," Chris said.

After greetings all around, Johnny steered Roy to the nearest chair. Sitting his protesting partner down, Johnny started with his right wrist as he began his examination.

"What happened?" Chris's mom asked, watching the two men. She was extremely grateful to them for getting her daughter out of Los Angeles alive.

"Ah," Roy hedged as he tried to not jump out of his skin when Johnny pressed on his side. "I think a branch caught me."

"Is there anything we can do?" Chris asked as she too watched.

"I don't think anything's broke," Johnny stated as he finished. "But a couple of aspirin would probably be a good idea. Ice packs would be an even better one."

"I'm fine," Roy grated again as he pulled his shirt back into place. "We need to get out there and see if anyone needs our help."

"I agree," Johnny said as he accepted a glass of water and two white tablets from Chris's mom. "There's only one problem though, neither of us is accredited in Canada. There really isn't much we can do but put band aids on and clean cuts."

"Still, a couple of extra hands with our experience could be very useful," Roy said. Grudgingly, he took the glass from Johnny. Popping the pills into his mouth, he drank the water in three swallows. Damn he was thirsty. "Could I get a little more water?"

"Maybe we should at least stay here until those pills kick in," Chris suggested, watching the man and how carefully he was moving. She didn't want him going out into the damaged areas at all in his current shape but she knew what kind of man he was. That just wasn't going to be an option.

"I think Chris is right, Roy. We should stay here for a little while anyway," Johnny agreed. Fear spiked through him as he watched Roy gingerly push his body up from the kitchen chair. He hadn't appeared to be too comfortable sitting on it. Catching hold of Roy's elbow, he steered his partner to the living room and the cushioned couch it contained.

"Since when have you ever shirked your duties when it comes to rescuing people?" Roy asked as he allowed his partner to lead him to the couch and push him into its soft confines. His shoulder, arm and side were really beginning to ache. As much as Roy hated to admit it, he was pretty much out of action at the moment. Settling down onto the couch, he allowed Johnny to manoeuvre him until he was lying on his good side.

"Since our squad is in LA and we're here," Johnny responded. Chris's mom pulled a blanket out from under the couch and carefully placed it over the paramedic's horizontal body. All ready Roy's blue eyes were beginning to droop. The adrenalin from the storm was rapidly fading and with it went Roy's ability to stay awake. Darkness overtook him while he tried to come up with a counter to his partner's logic.

_A/N: Hi! I'm so glad you're still with me. Now that the historical section is over, we've moved into the action. Don't worry, there's more to come but I'm not writing another 80 chapter saga though. Hope you don't mind! ;)_

_FYI Joyners closed down a long time ago (90's I think) and its track cash system is long gone as well. The Moose Jaw Wild Animal Park has also closed. All of the animals were sent to other zoos. I still go for walks on the property because it's still here. Currently it's protected by a conservation easement agreement. While the buildings are gone, it's still a beautiful place to spend an afternoon! Nothing has ever been done with our connection to Sitting Bull's people. We have tunnels under Main Street that were used by bootleggers to hide or smuggle their booze. There's lots of speculation that Al Capone came here during his reign of power but again, there's no proof. That doesn't always stop people though so we have places like 'Capone's Hideway' Motel, etc. Anyway, enough info about Moose Jaw. The city is going to take a back seat through the rest of this, I promise!_

_Susanne_


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

When next Roy became aware, he heard a dim voice speaking somewhere a short distance away. He knew intuitively that it wasn't someone in the room but more likely a person talking on a radio. With his eyes still closed, Roy took a quick inventory of his injuries. His side, shoulder and arm were hurting abominably. A quick gasp of breath brought his partner over to his side.

"Hey, Roy, are you okay?" Johnny asked as he crouched beside the couch. His friend was pale as a ghost. Concern spiked through his system.

"Side hurts," Roy settled with. He didn't feel like listing off the rest of his injuries. Forcing his eyes open, Roy blinked repeatedly at the unexpectedly bright light. Behind Johnny hovered Chris and her parents. The open looks of concern almost scared him more than the pain.

"We need to take him to the hospital," Chris suggested. The pain reflected in Roy's blue eyes was worse than she'd seen after the earthquake in Los Angeles. While the paramedic might not have broken anything, he was certainly in need of medical attention.

"You've been listening to the radio. There isn't much left in this city for emergency medicine," Johnny responded. Taking Roy's wrist in his hand, he began taking his friend's vital signs.

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked.

"The radio says that the tornado took out the Providence Hospital and the Union Hospital. The buildings are still there but there's been significant structural damage," Chris stated. "People are being told to stay away from them."

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Johnny asked. Roy's vital signs were holding steady but every few minutes, his face would contort with pain.

"What about the paramedics at the Heritage Inn?" Chris asked, her thoughts turning to Tobey and Oz. While they wouldn't be able to take x-rays and such, they should at least have something that would help, such as morphine.

"What did the radio say about the north end of town?" Chris's mother asked. She'd been trying to not listen. The whole thing was too hard to hear. She'd grown up just south of Moose Jaw and spent most of her life here. The thought of the familiar places of her world being so badly damaged sent chills down her spine.

"It didn't say anything about the Heritage specifically but it did say that there was some damage to the north end of the mall. We could try to reach the hotel. The 4th Avenue Bridge or the underpass should still be open," Chris responded. She hoped against hope that what she said was true. Watching Roy grimace in pain was bringing back too many memories. Memories she preferred to forget about her time in LA.

"Is that wise?" Chris's father asked. The power had been flickering since the tornado. Now, the lights finally gave out, leaving them in what light came from the windows. "At lease here we're safe. You've seen some of the destruction out there. It's likely to get worse."

"It's up to you, Johnny. I'll take you anywhere you think Roy should go," Chris said, turning to face the younger man. She wasn't about to make the decision. She knew all ready what she would say, to remain where they were, but Johnny had the medical background to make the right choice.

Glancing down at his partner's pale, drawn face, Johnny mentally ran through his options. None of them seemed very good. Roy wasn't offering an opinion, his eyes kept trying to slam shut.

"If we're going to keep him here I should give him some Tylenol or something for the pain," Chris prompted. She was pissed off at herself that she hadn't thought to do it earlier.

"Give me a second to think," Johnny replied. Staring at Roy was only making it harder to think. Standing up, he headed out the back door. Suddenly, he felt the need for some fresh air. Standing on the wood patio just outside the door, Johnny took three deep steadying breaths. He scanned the horizon, taking in the stripped shingles, broken windows, uprooted trees of the houses around them.

The magnitude of the destruction was breathtaking. Even Chris's house had shingles in the back yard. From where he stood, Johnny could see a white plastic duck with its' three yellow chicks lying on their sides in the east flower garden. The hail that had come down had somehow managed to decapitate the duck. A slight trembling began in Johnny's hands.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked as she joined the paramedic on the deck. Leaning carefully on the railing, she looked out over the backyard. Leaves were shredded off trees and were scattered around the yard. A large branch had broken off of the willow tree and was lying on the ground. She could see the shattered lawn ornaments. Tears in her eyes, she'd finally noticed the duck too.

"I'm starting to think I prefer earthquakes," Johnny responded.

"The main difference is that you can get out of a tornado's way if you have enough warning," Chris said. Pulling her eyes off the duck, she turned to face the dark haired young man standing beside her. "What would you like to do?"

"I'd like to pack Roy up and head back to Los Angeles. At least it's in one piece," Johnny responded.

"The radio said that a small twister made its way through Regina's east side. The airport is closed until they can affect repairs," Chris said. She knew it wasn't what the man wanted to hear but she also wanted to make sure Johnny knew it wasn't an option either.

"Great. Just great," Johnny cursed. The whole world seemed to be against him today. To think it started out so wonderfully! "What else does the radio say?"

"That we should stay in our homes unless we want to help with the rescue efforts. There are some people trapped in buildings like the mall and the hospitals," Chris responded. She knew it was the paramedics' first instinct to help, to be the ones searching the debris for survivors. This time, however, she wasn't so sure they could.

"Are there a lot of people trapped?" Johnny asked as he looked through the window in the door at his prone partner. The last thing he wanted to do was to leave Roy but he also felt the need to help.

"No, Johnny, I don't think there are. The sirens gave most people enough warning to get someplace safe," Chris responded. "We only need to worry about Roy."

OOOOO

Quickly word spread that there was someone with medical knowledge at Chris's house. Slowly injured neighbours showed up to be treated. Luckily, Chris's mom had a well stocked first aid kit and none of the injuries were particularly serious.

The people Johnny was worried about were settled on air beds in the living room. Johnny didn't want to have to be running back and forth checking on people. Besides, he wasn't willing to leave Roy alone. He knew admitting that out loud would piss his friend off. Despite the pain, Roy would keep insisting that he was fine.

Night came all too early. Without power, Chris and her family had to resort to flashlights and oil lanterns and there weren't a lot of those. Supper was barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs since there was no electricity to cook with the stove or oven. The fridge had all ready begun to lose its cool temperature so Chris and her mom set about cooking everything they could. It would stay edible longer that way.

Johnny kept careful watch over Roy's vital signs. Even though the pain continued unabated, he remained stable. They gave him as much Tylenol as they dared but it didn't really faze him. Roy slept fitfully throughout the day and into the night. Johnny made sure that Roy ate and drank, just to make sure he would be okay.

Around nine o'clock, after everyone had eaten, Johnny checked on all of his charges. Suddenly the living room seemed like a very small place. There were four other people lying on the ground and Johnny and Chris spent most of their time making sure they were all comfortable. Two of them had head injuries, one had a broken shoulder and the fourth one had a badly broken leg. Despite this, Johnny, after listening to the latest radio reports of the damage to the city's infrastructure, stood by his decision to keep them all at Chris's house. Better the hazards you knew than the ones that were waiting to jump on you.

A loud knock on the front door was followed by it opening. Thinking it was one of his patients' families, Johnny didn't bother to look up as he took Roy's BP. Chris, who'd been in the kitchen trying to clean up after supper, moved to the top of the short stairway and looked down.

"I was starting to worry about you two," Chris said, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "How did you get here? How did you find us?"

Glancing up, Johnny was surprised to see Tobey and Oz climbing the stairs, their medical bags on their shoulders.

"We asked at Woolco after we helped rescue two people who were trapped in a collapsed corner. We wanted to make sure John and Roy were okay and figured you were the best place to look," Oz stated.

"One of the fire engines drove us to the underpass and dropped us off. We had to walk from there because the underpass is flooded and full of debris. It's going to take a while to get it cleaned up enough for traffic. The 4th Ave. Bridge suffered structural damage. The city isn't letting anything but foot traffic over it," Tobey filled in.

"I guess that means we're stuck here for the night," Johnny said. He was both relieved to be proven right in his decision and angered that there were no other alternatives. Right now his patients were holding their own but he couldn't guarantee how long that was going to last. Looking down a dozing Roy, he felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.

"We could try to use my jeep and go cross country," Chris stated.

"For now we should just stay here," Tobey said almost cutting her off. "The hospitals are overrun and between the damage and the lack of power, there really isn't anything they can do to help."

"Okay," Johnny said, running a hand through his brown hair. "What exactly do you have in those bags?"

If they were spending the night here, Johnny wanted to know every resource they had at their disposal. As it was, it was going to be a hell of a long night.

Taking one of the lanterns out to the kitchen table, Johnny watched as the two Canadian paramedics began emptying their bags, taking inventory of what they'd used and what they still had.

Outside, the warm air that had fuelled the tornado was quickly being replaced by an Arctic cold front. The temperature was beginning to drop substantially. The furnace, if they'd thought to turn it on, was run on electricity. They were in for a cold night.

_A/N: Hello! No, I haven't forgotten about this story. Life gets in the way sometimes though. Damn reality! Anyway, I know there isn't a lot of action here but I promise there soon will be, just stick with me! Thank you!_

_Susanne_


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

The darkness, the cold, the burning lantern almost made Johnny feel like he was sitting in the old west somewhere a century or so ago. He would be eternally grateful that Chris's mother seemed to have a blanket fetish. Otherwise he and his patients would have frozen he was sure. He'd piled three homemade quilts on top of Roy. His partner had growled a little because of the weight and then had fallen right back to sleep.

"You should get some sleep too, Johnny," Chris said as she watched the paramedic's head fall to his chest for the sixth time in the last five minutes. Too tired to move, the LA County firefighter was sitting on the floor beside Roy's couch. It was easier to keep an eye on everyone this way. Oz and Tobey had helped him check over the injured one last time and then had begun going to the houses around them to check for damage and to see if anyone else needed help. At three o'clock in the morning there weren't too many takers but there were a few.

"So should you," Johnny said, a half grin on his face. He had a two blankets wrapped around his shoulders to keep the cold out. Chris, on the other hand, had a sweater on and shoes. That was about it for extra clothes and yet she seemed perfectly comfortable.

"I will if you will," Chris responded. She'd leave the lantern on and the front door open for the other two paramedics when they decided to come back. Her parents had retreated to their room about two hours ago. From the sound of her father's snores, at least he'd fallen asleep. "There's an extra bedroom downstairs when you're ready."

"That's too far away," Johnny mumbled as he slowly slumped sideways and instantly fell asleep on the ground beside the couch.

Shaking her head, Chris picked up another blanket, tip toed over to the sleeping paramedic and carefully spread it over him. One last look at Roy and she headed for bed.

OOOOO

"We're running out of water and bandages," Tobey announced the next morning. He and Oz had come back around five and had taken up residence in the two basement rooms. One had a couch and the other a bed. They'd flipped a coin to see who got the bed.

"With the power out, the water isn't running," Chris agreed. As best they could, Chris and her parents had scraped together enough food to feed the injured and their guests as well as themselves. Luckily, her mother was a bit of a pack rat when it came to canned goods as well. It had never come in quite so handy before.

"The base hospital might not have been affected," Chris's dad suggested from his chair in the living room. He'd taken up reading again since the TV was still out and he couldn't watch wrestling. Damn it anyway.

"Son of a bitch!" Chris swore quietly. In all the time since the tornado, she hadn't considered the base. Getting there wouldn't require going under the blocked underpass or over the damaged Fourth Avenue bridge. Why hadn't she thought of that herself? "He's right. The radio hasn't mentioned damage out at the base. We may be able to get more help there."

"How far away is this base?" Johnny asked from his position beside Roy. He'd convinced his partner to eat a little but not much. He had mumbled something about not being hungry and closed his eyes again.

"Couple of miles to the south. We could see it from the top of the cliff," Chris said. As if on cue, a low thumping noise became audible at a distance and slowly grew closer. "That would probably be one of their helicopters."

"We can only take a couple in the jeep," Oz said, looking down at the three people sleeping on the floor. He knew all about triage, he knew its principles well, but for the life of him he couldn't make the decision as to who they should take first.

"That's okay. It's not that far. We'll be back in ten minutes or so," Chris said, still mentally kicking herself. "Since Roy seems to be sleeping peacefully, how about Oz and Tobey come with me?"

OOOOO

While the others were gone, Johnny tried to wake Roy up and make sure the other patient they'd left behind was ready to move.

"Where are we going?" Roy asked sleepily. It was easier when he was asleep, the pain was almost manageable. The only problem was when he slept he felt the world around him swirling again, like it had during the tornado. He wasn't sure which was worse as he grimaced.

"Apparently there's a base just south of town. Chris's dad thinks they might have survived the tornado better than the rest of the city," Johnny explained as he forced his friend up until he was sitting. He tried to not notice the fact that Roy had a decided lean to one side.

"A base? What kind of base?" Roy asked. It was taking everything he had to stay upright. Even then he couldn't stop the flinches his face made as the pain increased and decreased almost of its own free will.

"It's a Canadian Forces Base," Chris's dad said. "I used to work out there. It's the base the Snowbirds are stationed out of."

"Oh," Roy responded, not sure what else to say. The man seemed to think he should know who the 'Snowbirds' were but at the moment he didn't.

"You know, the ambassadors for the Canadian Air Force? The red and white jet fighters that do the aerial acrobats?" the other casualty added. He found it easier to not pay attention to his injuries by listening to his saviours talk. Until now it hadn't occurred to him that they weren't Canadian.

"Not everyone is into air shows, Gord," Chris's mom stated, a smile on her lips. She was busily making lunch for everyone. She just hoped they liked Kraft Dinner with tomato and cheese sauce. So far the propane stove was working wonderfully.

"Why not?" Gord asked with innocence shining in his eyes. How could anyone not like air shows? He loved to watch the Snowbirds as they practiced and then the day of the yearly air show, they always seemed to fly right over their houses.

"We're back," Chris called from the bottom of the landing. Her dad had been right. The damage out at the base had been minimal. Their first two patients were all ready in line to be seen by the harried doctors who had been on shift for the last 24 hours.

"How is it out there?" Roy asked as he tried to drag himself back into the conversation.

"Well, it's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood," Chris responded as she came up the stairs. "Too bad some of the neighbours had to throw parties last night. They've left a real mess."

"You're joking, right?" Johnny asked, looking at the woman as if she had three heads or something.

"Of course! It just seemed like a better thing to say than it looks like Godzilla stomped his way through town," Chris said. "Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Roy responded as he tried to pry his body out of the couch. He'd almost made it, almost, when Johnny caught hold of his good shoulder and carefully pried him the rest of the way up. Pain flashed through his side, taking Roy's breath away. Johnny managed to keep him from crumpling to the ground.

"Roy?" Chris asked as she sprang forward, fear and concern driving her.

"I'm okay," Roy insisted as he got his feet back under him. The world tilted crazily but Johnny's arm under his was strong and kept him upright.

"We'd better get going," Johnny suggested as he steered his trembling partner toward the stairs and the waiting jeep. Oz and Tobey were helping Gord, who had a broken arm and twisted ankle, toward the stairs as well. "Thank you for everything. It was very nice to meet you," Johnny said as he led the way outside.

OOOOO

The trip out of town was much shorter than Johnny had expected. He was grateful for that as he watched Roy while trying to not appear to watch him. Each bump in the road just about sent the older paramedic through the roof as the new waves of pain registered.

In the back seat, Oz and Tobey exchanged glances. They too were worried about Roy. There were so many things that could go wrong, given his symptoms. The fact that they were headed for a hospital filled both of them with relief.

Pulling up to the gate, Chris looked at the MP sitting there. He didn't seem all that concerned by them, lots of people had probably been passing through the gate all day. "We have two injured here that we need to take to the hospital," Chris said to him.

"Sure," the guard said. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Yeah, I've been here before," Chris responded. Nodding at the man, she started the car forward again. She could feel Johnny's impatience burning at her side. Roy was getting worse it seemed and she wasn't willing to waste any more time than necessary either.

The streets seemed to be a little narrower than in the city but there was none of the obvious damage they'd witnessed on their way here either. There were broken branches here and there but all of them had been moved off of the streets and on to the verge on the side. Behind them, Johnny saw a large truck stop at one of the branches. Two soldiers climbed out, picked up the large branch and threw it into the back.

"They're very clean here," Johnny observed, at a loss of anything else to say, other than _floor it_!

"This is the military. They abhor disorder," Chris responded. With a final turn they were there. Parking the vehicle by the front door, Chris turned to Johnny. "You walk them in, I'll park the jeep in the parking lot."

"Sure," Johnny said as he practically leapt out of the vehicle. He helped Gord out of the front seat before turning his attention to Roy. Tobey was helping him out. Still unsteady, Roy allowed Johnny and Tobey to support him as they headed for the glass doors that were miraculously still intact.

Inside they found controlled pandemonium. The corridor immediately beyond the door was filled to capacity with beds, cots and chairs filled with patients in various degree of injury. Two chairs down, Tobey saw their other people. Letting go of Roy, who'd propped himself against the nearest wall, he knelt down beside the nearest one.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all," Gord stated as Oz helped him hobble in.

"What are the alternatives?" Roy asked, taking in the people, noise and the fact that the corridor was lighted. They were one step up from the house anyway.

"There aren't any," Oz responded. Just then, a nurse came bustling up to them, a clip board clutched in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Name and injury," she stated, looking at first Roy and then Gord.

"Well, maybe things are looking up after all," Johnny said, stepping forward. "Hi, my partner here is Roy DeSoto, he has injuries to his right side. I don't think anything is broken but he is in a lot of pain."

"How about you?" the nurse asked after writing down what Johnny had said. Quickly Tobey listed off Gord's injuries and his name.

"How long is it going to take for a doctor to see them?" Tobey asked once he was done.

"We're running a little late so it may take fifteen minutes to half an hour," the nurse responded as she began to turn away.

"We're trained paramedics. Is there anything we can do to help?" Oz said before she was completely out of ear shot. The woman stopped in her tracks and turned back to them, a slow smile beginning to light up her exhausted features.

"I'll tell the doctors. We can use every pair of trained hands we can get," the nurse said.

_A/N: Hellloooo out there is anyone still around? _

_Yeah, I know. It's been far too long since my last update. I'm extremely sorry. Real life is getting in the way and my muse is on vacation. You could probably tell with this chapter. Until it comes back I'll have to wait and see what happens. Until then, hopefully you can be patient too. I hate writing just for the sake of writing because I know people are waiting. I want it all to make sense and to flow. Right now I'm just not feeling it. I hope you understand._

_I'll write again as soon as my muse reappears. Hopefully it won't be too long. The juices are churning but so far all I have to show are sour grapes. Ooops._

_Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me. _

_Susanne_


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

The next several minutes were spent trying to help the doctors and nurses deal with the patients in the examination rooms and along the hallways. Chris stayed with Roy. It absolutely burned the older paramedic being left behind, sitting on a bed, waiting to be examined. He had trouble sitting still. Roy kept shifting around, trying to find a more comfortable position to sit in but he couldn't find one.

Looking down the hallway, Roy saw Johnny, Oz and Tobey making their way down the hall, taking vital signs and making notations in each patient's chart. Hissing a breath through clenched teeth, Roy's head dropped, he tried to brace his side with his arms and he tried to not think too hard.

"This must be hard for you," Chris stated from her position at the top end of Roy's bed. The senior paramedic was sitting on the bed despite the nurse suggesting that he should lie down. "Not helping out with Johnny to check people over."

Before Roy had a chance to respond, a young man, too young by Chris's standards, walked up to them. He had the clipboard with the paper the nurse had filled out, a white coat over his green fatigues and a name take that said 'Captain Robert Johnson, MD' pinned to the pocket.

"Hello there, I'm Doctor Johnson," Robert said, smiling at Roy and Chris. "Heck of a day, huh? Well, let's get some x-rays of your side before we get too far. Do you mind if I take a quick look, first?"

"Sure," Roy responded. He hated being examined. It had happened far too often in his career as a fire fighter/paramedic. He glanced at Chris as the doctor pulled his shirt up to get a better look at his side.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Dr. Johnson asked. He tapped a few places on Roy's side, eliciting flinches from the paramedic.

It took a moment for Roy to catch his breath before he could answer. "My shoulder and arm on that side too."

Chris hovered nearby. She didn't want to intrude but she also wasn't going to let the paramedic out of her sight. Desperately she wanted to jump in, to keep the doctor from causing Roy more pain. That would be intruding though.

The doctor took the time to examine Roy as thoroughly as he could in the hallway. Stepping back, he crossed his arms over the clip board and looked at Roy and then Chris.

"Well, you're a very lucky man. Despite the pain, you don't appear to have broken anything. I'll get the x-rays anyway, just to double check. I'm going to put tensor bandages around your torso and shoulder, they'll help somewhat with the discomfort," Johnson stated. "Just give me a few minutes and we'll get you down there."

"Thanks, doc," Roy responded. He was relieved to find out that he hadn't broken anything. He was hoping though, that they could do more to stabilize the injured areas. Roy really hated having to sit on the sidelines.

"Thank you. Thanks to your friends here we're finally starting to get a leg up on treating all these patients. I'll be back for you in just a few minutes," Johnson said before he turned and headed back down the hall, scribbling on the clipboard as he went.

Johnny had finished with his last patient and came trotting up to them. He was happy to be doing something, especially under the guidance of a doctor. As much as Johnny trusted his skills as a paramedic, he knew well enough that he didn't know everything to do with medicine.

"So, what'd he say?" Johnny asked as he moved in front of Roy. His partner was still sitting on the bed, his feet dangling down.

"He's sending Roy for x-rays but doesn't think anything is broken," Chris chimed in when Roy didn't immediately respond.

"Thank God," Johnny breathed, relief filling him for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Smiling, he rested a hand on Roy's shoulder and gently squeezed. "Thank God."

OOOOO

The x-rays were done quickly. The results took a little longer and then Dr. Johnson took Roy into one of the few exam rooms open to wrap him up. It wasn't necessarily the way that Dr. Brackett would have done it, but Roy had to admit that in an emergency situation it got him back onto his feet.

"Now, I've written up a prescription for pain meds. They aren't morphine or anything that could be addictive but they should help keep you more comfortable. Since the pharmacies in town aren't going to be open anytime soon, I've found enough for you for four days. Hopefully by then you'll be able to get the script filled," Dr. Johnson stated, handing Roy a small pill bottle once he'd finished.

The doctor gave Roy an injection in his good shoulder. "That will hold you for a while. Don't take any pills for at least four hours. Take it easy as much as you can. While there're no breaks, you've bruised your body pretty badly. There's no use pushing things."

"Whatever you say, doc," Roy responded. He was just happy that the doctor hadn't told him he had to stay in the hospital. The pain medication was a bonus.

A commotion at the end of the hall drew everyone's attention. A young serviceman, dressed all in black, was arguing with three other men. The serviceman seemed to be desperate. The intensity of his argument immediately drew Roy's attention.

"What's going on down there?" Johnny asked, indicating with his chin the heated discussion.

"That's Captain Sheppard. He's one of the helicopter pilots. I'm not sure what's got him so excited. Hold on," Dr. Johnson said. Holding up a hand toward the two paramedics and woman, as if he were afraid they were going to follow him, the doctor headed down the hallway. The argument was becoming even more heated. Apparently Captain Sheppard was getting frustrated by the complete lack of cooperation he was receiving.

"What do you think is going on?" Chris asked, more for something to say than really expecting an answer.

Both paramedics shrugged in response. Their eyes were glued to the commotion down the hall. Tobey and Oz were finishing up with their patients and moved down the hallway toward their companions. Just as they joined them at Roy's bed, Dr. Johnson finished talking with the military men and was shaking his head.

"This looks big," Oz stated, never taking his eyes off the group. Captain Sheppard had turned, attempting to leave by the door at the end of the hall. The other military personnel caught hold of him.

Unable to keep their curiosity in check any longer, the four paramedics and the woman made their way in that direction. Roy was feeling considerably better thanks to the wrappings and the pills. Even getting down off the bed was much easier.

"What's the problem?" Johnny asked when he got close enough to be heard over the general noise of the hallway. Captain Sheppard was struggling against the men holding him. There was a desperation there that set Roy's nerves on edge.

"There's been a cave in on Main Street. Some of my friends were down there trying to dig a construction crew out but the ground is too unstable. The military and civilian rescue teams are spread too thin, we don't have anyone else to send," Captain Sheppard practically shouted into the paramedics' faces.

"You know that yours is the last helicopter we have to air lift critical patients, Captain. We need you to pilot it or many more people will die. I understand your need to help your friends and the construction crew but it's out of our hands right now," the officer in charge stated.

"If you can get us down there, we can try to get them out," Johnny suggested without taking time to consider what he was volunteering everyone for.

Captain Sheppard paused in his struggling to stare at the man. Hope bloomed for the first time since hearing of his friends' plight.

"Who are you?" the CO demanded. He looked at the four men and woman as if they were from another planet.

"I'm John Gage, this is Roy DeSoto. We're rescue paramedics from Los Angeles. This is what we do. These two are Tobey and Oz. They're paramedics from Toronto, Ontario. If anyone can get them out of there, we can," Johnny stated.

_A/N: I'm so very sorry for a couple of things. First of all I can't believe this took as long as it did to write. I'm so sorry. The second thing I'm sorry about is that this chapter is so short. It seems like the right place to stop it. It won't take me two months to update again. I promise!_

_Well, I hope someone, anyone still cares about this story. I do. Honest!_

_Thank you so much for sticking with me if you have. _

_Susanne_


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

The helicopter's blades thumped. Johnny could feel it in his chest. He'd flow in Coast Guard helicopters during rescues in LA but somehow this felt completely different. Bags hanging off both shoulders and every conceivable place, Johnny bent at the waist to keep from getting his head chopped off with the whirling blades. As he moved toward the body of the copter, Johnny glanced over his shoulder to see who else was coming. He was only mildly surprised to find Roy, Oz and Tobey bringing up the rear.

"What do you think you're doing?" Johnny half-heartedly demanded as he rounded off on his partner. Not too long ago the paramedic had been gravely concerned about the man now he was trying to come on a rescue.

"I'm fine," Roy responded while he huffed to the copter, a large bag hanging from his good side. Now that the doctor had assured him that nothing was broken and the painkillers had kicked in he felt pretty damned good.

"No way, Roy, you're not coming on this," Johnny shouted to e heard over the helicopter's engine.

"I'm fine," Roy repeated as he opened the door and placed his bag inside. Ignoring his irritated partner, Roy carefully climbed inside.

"We can use every hand we can get," Captain Sheppard assured Johnny on his way by.

"He can supervise while the rest of us dig," Tobey stated. He could plainly see how torn Johnny was. On one hand he was worried for his friend and colleague because of the injuries he'd all ready sustained. On the other hand, Johnny wasn't ready to be separated from the other man.

Staring at Roy for a split second longer, Johnny shook his head and followed Tobey and Oz inside. Setting his bags down, Johnny put his seat belt on and the head set so he could talk to the pilot and co-pilot. "What do we know?" he asked.

"There were workers in the tunnels under Main Street. The tornado collapsed the tunnel. We sent a crew in to dig them out. They got ten feet from them and it collapsed again, trapping everyone," the co-pilot explained over the radio. The noise of the engine grew as Sheppard increased the power and they lifted off the ground.

"Were the workers working on the sewers?" Johnny asked. He looked out the window so he didn't have to watch Roy. He didn't want to act like a kid.

"No. They were working on the tunnels," the co-pilot replied, his tone of voice indicating that he figured Johnny ought to know what he was talking about.

" Tunnels?" Johnny parroted.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the co-pilot quipped. "There are tunnels dug out under Main Street from back during Prohibition. There are rumours that Al Capone came up here to hide in them as well."

"You're kidding, right?" Johnny asked. That seemed a little farfetched, even for this place. They'd passed over the Wild Animal Park and were passing over South Hill.

"About Al Capone?" No, the rumour mill turns all the time. The tunnels are real though. Their entrances are in the basements of Main Street businesses on the first three blocks. They were used to hide booze during prohibition and Chinese immigrants as well. For a while Moose Jaw was known as 'Little Chicago'," the co-pilot stated.

"You spend too much time reading," Sheppard growled from the pilot's seat.

"Wow," was all Johnny could think to say. Then they were over the railway tracks. There was an open area in the freight yard that had been prepared by then. As the helicopter settled on the ground, the four paramedics bailed out and unloaded their gear.

"Which way?" Tobey asked a young man that had come over to meet them.

"Follow me," the young man stated. When he knew all four of them were ready, he headed out toward a large brick railway station. It was a beautiful structure with a clock that had come through the tornado unscathed.

Tromping over the railway tracks, they climbed onto the station walkway and then made their way around the east side of the station house. Once they cleared the trees that surrounded the park on that side, the devastation in the downtown core became evident.

Stopping in his tracks, Roy looked up Main Street. Instead of the collapsed brick store fronts, shattered windows and squashed vehicles and upended lights, Roy saw the devastation of the LA earthquake. The images of what he and the others had seen momentarily juxtaposed over when was laid out before him. Then Oz, Tobey and their guide moved past him, breaking the spell.

Shaking his head, Roy stepped forward and tried to catch up. There was a knot in his throat as memories continued to wash through his mind. Behind him, Johnny tried to not be too obvious that he was hovering. No matter how good Roy thought he was feeling, Johnny wasn't going to let him out of his sight.

Trooping through the rubble, Tobey checked each building to make sure they'd been searched. Each building they passed had huge white 'X's spray painted on a window frame or door, if it was still on its hinges. Satisfied, he concentrated on not twisting an ankle or otherwise injuring himself. That was the last thing they needed at the moment.

Silently, their guide paced through the first block and then made his way toward the second block. Partway up on the left side, they came upon a large brick faced store that seemed less damaged than its neighbours. The front door was shattered. They stepped through the twisted frame, the darkness beyond faded.

"It's in the basement," the guide said as he stepped over overturned displays, tables and clothes racks. He headed toward a dark hole along the right wall. Fishing out flashlights, the paramedics followed wordlessly. Johnny was sure he could hear the building around them creak and moan in protest.

The stairs were relatively clear. At the bottom, they could see bright lights. Apparently they weren't going to be the only ones digging. Rounding the corner, they found a group of four men using spades, shovels and their hands to pull debris out of the tunnel in the east wall.

"Pete," their guide said as he stepped toward the burly man who was at the front of the work crew. "These are the paramedics. Two of them are rescue paramedics."

"Good," Pete grunted as he turned his attention back to pulling dirt, large and small rocks, rebar, mortar, and the odd pipe and wiring out of his way. Johnny estimated the man was probably his height but outweighed the paramedic by a good fifty pounds of muscle.

Roy got as close to the operation as possible and surveyed the hole. "You're going to have to shore the sides and roof up before you get much further," Roy stated. The four men stopped what they were doing to glance at the blond paramedic.

"There's enough wood upstairs to use for bracing," Johnny suggested. He'd moved around enough that he too could see the excavation. Roy was right. They needed to shore the tunnel up or they would have a third cave in.

Pete looked at the two men for a moment longer, considering the options. "Swain, Web, go upstairs with him and get the wood. We don't want to add to the problem," he instructed.

OOOOO

Several minutes later, Johnny, Swain and Web had dragged down enough wood from the store above and the street beyond to brace the work they'd done so far and several yards more. With all the extra hands, it took almost no time to shore up the sides and roof.

"Happy?" Pete asked mildly. He knew the paramedic had been right and only had their best interests at heart but it pissed him off to have to stop.

"Ecstatic," Roy responded, a small smile on his lips. The man had a prickly exterior but Roy could tell Pete wasn't really angry at him.

With a slight nod at the senior paramedic, Pete and Swain turned back to digging. Feeling like a fifth wheel, Oz and Tobey turned to their guide.

"Are the rest of the rest of the buildings on this street cleared?" Tobey asked.

"yes," the guide replied. "But I think the ones on River Street West haven't been yet."

"Good. We'll start on the north side," Tobey said.

"Take one of the radios so we can stay in contact," their guide, Tobey could see the name 'Holiday' on a patch on his shirt.

"Sure thing," Tobey said, accepting the offered handset. Then they were up the stairs. Both men would rather be busy.

"How are you doing?" Johnny asked his partner quietly. The two men were hanging at the back of the room, trying to stay out of the way.

"I'm fine," Roy responded automatically.

"Yeah, sure you are," Johnny pressed. If the two of them had to climb in the tunnel, he needed to know that Roy was up for it.

This time Roy paused before answering. "I'm still sore but I'm good," he finally said. It was the truth. While he doubted he'd be much help at digging, he could still be of use in other ways.

"Okay," Johnny responded. He took his partner at his word. Turning back to the tunnel he was greatly relieved to see that they'd broken through the collapsed area. On the other side three men were crouched, all of them covered in dirt and grime from head to toe and were coughing mercilessly, trying to expel the dirt from their lungs.

"Took you long enough," one of the three grated once the coughing fit had passed. His white teeth flashed brightly even in the dim light as he helped the first of his companions toward the newly opened tunnel.

"Are you all right?" Pete asked as he caught hold of the man and handed him off to Swain.

"I'm fine," the young man said, his voice soft and raspy after the bad air and dust. Volunteering to help dig the workers out didn't seem like such a good idea anymore, even though his older brother was one of them.

"Good," Swain said as he ushered the tall young man toward the waiting paramedics. As he handed him off so he could help the next man over, Swain patted him on the shoulder. A cloud of dust and dirt exploded into the air.

Helping the last man out, Pete, 'Buffer' to his friends, began digging anew. They'd reached one group, now they had to get to the second group. Chances were pretty slim that they'd be in such good shape.

Johnny and Roy had their hands full as they administered oxygen to all three patients and then set about getting their life signs. A side from needing showers, so far all three rescuers seemed to have come through with only minor injuries. For that Roy was grateful.

"Buffer, you're deep enough," Swain stated as he checked the sides of the tunnel with one of the flashlights. It was hard to see how far they'd gone in the dim light of the tunnel. "We'd better take the time to shore things up."

"I think I'm getting close," Buffer responded. He didn't even pause. They were almost there, he could feel it.

"All the more reason to brace the tunnel before you go any further," Johnny called from beside Sam, the one whose brother was still trapped inside.

Growling under his breath, the big man carefully extracted himself from the tunnel. While he was big and strong and good for digging Buffer was too big to allow enough room in the current tunnel for his body and the wood necessary to do the shoring. That part of the job was going to have to fall to smaller men such as Swain and Webb.

As soon as Buffer cleared the entrance Swain and Webb nearly dove in, a sheet of plywood between them.

"How smart is it really to use wood that has all ready weathered a natural disaster?" Johnny asked as he watched the two men.

"What choice do we have?" Roy countered. Their charges were fine, apart from needing to get the dirt out of their ears, noses and eyes.

Satisfied that the paramedics were finished with their charges, Holiday roused the trio off the floor and ushered them up stairs. With any luck the basement was about to get more crowded and the paramedics would need the room?"

"Satisfied?" Buffer stated when Swain and Webb backed out of the tunnel entrance. He hated sounding like a petulant child but the need to reach the trapped men was thrumming through him.

"Yup," Swain responded. He'd worked with Buffer long enough to ignore his intensity. "Have at her."

"Thank you."

OOOOO

It felt like an eternity to the paramedics as they watched the men continue their labours. In actuality, Roy was having a hard time staying awake. When they didn't have anything pressing to do his eye lids kept fluttering shut for a few moments, before he managed to jerk them open again.

Just before Roy lost the battle for good, Buffer let out a yell and began digging in earnest but with his hands.

"He's found a foot," Swain explained. From his position near the tunnel he had a better vantage point over the big man's shoulder.

"Is there a pulse?" Johnny asked, springing forward. In his anxiety to reach the patient, he didn't notice how slow Roy was to react.

"He can't tell yet. His boot and lots of debris are still in the way," Swain answered. He was itching to pull the bigger man out of the way and jump in there himself.

Johnny was standing with his bags in his hands as he waited impatiently for Buffer to do what he could to free the man. The paramedic wasn't used to standing around during a rescue. He was used to being the one doing the rescuing. Behind him Roy gained his feet but a little slower and blinked his blue eyes rapidly to dismiss the slight haze that seemed to have descended over them. Bending over, he picked up his own equipment and blinked a couple more times.

"I'm through!" Buffer called. He'd broken through to the area of the tunnel the workers had been in. While uncovering the foot, he'd found the man's leg and then the rest of him. Buffer was greatly relieved to feel the man's pulse, strong and steady beneath his finger tips. "He's alive but unconscious."

"Let us in there!" Johnny ordered as he firmly but gently stepped around Swain and the others. He didn't want Buffer to move any of the wounded until he and Roy had had a chance to examine them for head or back injuries.

Reluctantly, Buffer let go of the man's leg and pulled his arm back through the two feel round hole he'd made. Then he shimmied backward on his stomach to keep from accidently hitting the tunnel sides and causing another collapse.

As soon as Buffer was clear, Johnny practically dove down the tunnel to reach the first victim. The fact that the other men weren't clamouring to get out told him that they too must be unconscious. Reaching the man's leg, Johnny quickly took his pulse and was marginally relieved to find it to be 65 beats per minute.

"I'm going to have to move a bit more of the debris," Johnny called over his shoulder to his partner. "I can't quite get inside yet."

"Be careful," Roy admonished from behind Johnny. The tunnel was barely wide enough for Roy and all the gear. Waiting for Johnny, he shifted the oxygen bottle and its frame to one side and began lifting the drug box over to join in. In his befuddled stated, Roy hadn't really noticed that he and Johnny were beyond the shoring. Roy also didn't notice how high he'd lifted the drug box to clear the tank and its frame until his knuckles rapped harshly against the tunnel roof.

A small trickle of debris fell as Roy pulled his hand back, the box still held firmly as he moved to put it down. Before Roy could place the box on the tunnel floor, the trickle became a torrent. Then Roy wasn't aware of anything as darkness descended.

_A/N: Hello! Yes, I'm still alive. Hard to believe huh? As always I'm so sorry this has taken so long. Real life really sucks sometimes. I can't complain too loudly. Other than being busy things have taken a definite turn for the better._

_I hope you're still out there waiting patiently (or not so patiently). I made this update extra long so it'll hopefully hold you until the muse comes back again. _

_By the way, I stole all the military characters (the rescues in the tunnels-Swain, Webb, Buffer and Holiday) from 'Sea Patrol', an Australian TV show about the Royal Australian Navy. As always, I tweaked things a little because there's no way the navy would be in land locked Moose Jaw. Well, I didn't tweak, I just threw them in there. grin Also, I stole Sam from 'Supernatural'. Of course his brother will turn out to be Dean. Again, I threw them in the situation. They are regular brothers with no supernatural hunting ability. I write better when I put specific actors/characters in other roles as needed. I still haven't figured out who else is going to be in the tunnel. Will see what happens._

_Lastly, the Tunnels of Moose Jaw are real. They were turned into a tourist attraction in the 80's or 90's. Can't remember which. In the 70's when this story takes place, they were occupational hazards to anyone doing construction on the street on Main Street. The Al Capone thing is a real rumour that still floats around. There's no definite proof that he was here but Moose Jaw was a pretty happening place in the 20's and 30's._

_Enough history. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope to write again on this story very soon._

_Thanks for sticking with me! I appreciate it more than words can express._

_Bye for now._

_Susanne_


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

"Roy!" The voice was muffled and seemed so very far away. It seemed like it would take an incredible effort to reach up to the voice. Suddenly exhausted beyond endurance, Roy allowed himself to slip back under the dark fold.

"Roy!" Johnny shouted as he coughed against the kicked up dust. It was dark. In the cave-in he'd lost the flashlight he'd had in his hand. Turning, he frantically searched the pile of soil with his hands, trying to find Roy or the flashlight. Somewhere behind his shoulder he could hear laboured breathing and dry coughs.

"I guess we're not leaving now?" a too young voice asked from behind Johnny.

"I have to find Roy. He'll suffocate under all the dirt," Johnny stated as he continued to search frantically with his hands.

In the darkness Johnny felt a presence come up beside him. Then a second pair of hands was searching too. For a few minutes the only sounds were the two men breathing hard while they worked. As the seconds passed, Johnny felt the tension between his shoulder blades increase. He was finding it harder to breathe as he knew his partner was struggling to draw breath under the dirt.

Finally. As Johnny's fingers brushed through the loose soil he felt something warm. Further exploration revealed material under the last layer of dirt. Frantically, Johnny and his new friend dug around Roy's outstretched arm.

"Hang on, Roy," Johnny breathed as he continued to dig in the dark. He'd uncovered Roy's upper arm and was almost at his shoulder, his head couldn't be far behind. He hoped that they'd reach him in time.

OOOOO

It was hard to breathe. Roy felt as if an elephant or 'Big Red' was sitting on his chest. All around him was darkness but he wasn't sure if it was because it was night or because his eyes were closed. At the moment it didn't really seem to matter. Forcing his body to obey him, Roy tried to take a deep breath only to have his nose and mouth almost fill with dirt.

Sputtering and spitting, Roy found more dirt trying to rush in. Suddenly he realized that one of his hands was under his chin. Carefully, he tried to excavate some breathing room around his nose and mouth. The senior paramedic couldn't quite remember how he came to be here but he knew from past experience that he was buried.

It was slow going. He was hampered by the weight pressing on his back and his butt. Absently he realized that his ribs were now definitely broken. That was part of the reason for his difficulties breathing. The other part was the fact that dirt was attempting to smother him. Panic reared its ugly head.

Taking a deep breath to calm down wasn't an option. Closing his eyes also wasn't an option because it was all ready dark it wouldn't help to calm him. Desperately, Roy tried to keep his ragged breathing and his rapidly escalating pulse under control.

The world seemed to be closing in on him. Never having suffered from claustrophobia before, Roy took a few moments to recognize the symptoms. By that time, however, he was nearly beyond being able to control himself. Then, through his hazed mind and thundering breathing, Roy felt it. Someone had touched his other arm.

OOOOO

"Roy!" Johnny called as he frantically, but carefully, dug at his friend's body. The darkness was stifling in its intensity. The dirt from the cave in was still in the air. As he breathed, Johnny felt the fine particles lodging in his nose and mouth. Coughing them out, he continued his digging.

Under Johnny's fingers, he felt the cloth from Roy's shirt. Shortly after that he felt warm flesh. He'd found Roy's neck. Holding his breath, Johnny felt for a pulse. He wasn't sure what he would do if there wasn't one. The defibrillator was on the other side of the dirt. The pulse was there, strong and regular.

"Thank God," Johnny breathed as his head dropped for a moment in relief. His fingers shaking a little bit, he and the other guy carefully uncovered Roy's head. In the darkness, Johnny found that his partner's eyes were closed. Under the lids, though, he could feel his partner's eyes moving.

"Stay with me, Roy, we're getting you out," Johnny reassured his friend as they continued to uncover Roy's unmoving body.

OOOOO

"Please be in time. Please be in time," Johnny muttered under his breath. He and the other person had gotten Roy's top half unburied. Enough so he could tell that his partner and friend wasn't breathing. In the dark, Johnny found Roy's mouth and nose, quickly clearing them of offending dirt. He then checked his friend's pulse. Relief flowed. At least Roy's heart was still beating. Taking a deep breath, Johnny pinched off Roy's nose and exhaled the air into his friend's mouth. Roy wouldn't last long without air.

"Is he okay?" the male voice beside Johnny asked. Even in the darkness Johnny could feel the other man's warmth on his left side.

Unable to take the time to explain, Johnny continued assisted breathing on Roy. After all this he wasn't going to lose him. Not now. Not in Canada buried in a God damned tunnel.

"Please be in time. Please be in time," Johnny continued, almost like a mantra as he continued to help Roy breathe.

"Get off me," Johnny heard just as he bent again to force air into Roy's lungs. The words were followed by a wobbly push from Roy's nearest arm. Then he felt his friend's gentle breath brush against his right cheek. A sob burst to the surface. Roy was alive. In relief and exhaustion, Johnny settled back onto his haunches and tried to get control of his emotions.

"You okay?" Roy wheezed as he tried to sit up. He was brought up short by his broken ribs. Breath hissed between his clenched teeth as he rode the waves of pain. In the cacophony he was only partially aware of the fact that his legs were still covered in dirt.

"Oh, God," Johnny replied. It was all that would come out. He'd honestly thought he'd lost his partner. The realization had been almost too much to bear. His miraculous resurrection was still settling in. While Johnny struggled, the urge to vomit was nearly overwhelming. Sitting back onto his rump, Johnny caught hold of Roy's collar and tried to pull. They hadn't uncovered him completely and it was the only thing the younger paramedic could think to do that didn't require speaking.

"Are there others on the other side of the dirt?" the male voice asked. Johnny had progressed from needing to vomit to shaking like a leaf. Try as he might, however, he couldn't quite pull his friend free. He gave up, though, for fear of compounding Roy's probable injuries further.

"Yeah," Johnny managed. "They'll be digging from the other side."

Finally in better control, Johnny moved closer to Roy's head. "How are you doing partner?"

"Great," Roy wheezed. The pain from his ribs wasn't getting any better but he knew there wasn't anything Johnny could do to help that. All their stuff was trapped in the earth with him. Trying to shift his legs just caused more pain. Giving in, Roy turned his attention back to Johnny. Even in the dark he could see how badly shaken the younger man was. He could feel it in his touch and in his voice. How long had he really been gone? Roy wondered.

"Good, good," Johnny responded as he absently patted Roy's nearest shoulder. The dark was impenetrable. Still, now that the immediate threat had passed, Johnny was hearing other people moving around. "Is anyone injured?"

"You mean besides your friend?" the male voice quipped. He'd moved away now that Roy was as clear as they were going to be able to get him. There were other people in the hole that needed to be tended to. "Spence has a broken leg, one of the water pipes fell on him. He's trapped at the moment. Jed is okay, just freaking out a bit. Now we find out he has claustrophobia. Nick is keeping an eye on both of them."

"Who are you?" Johnny asked. He knew he should go check on Spence, whoever that was, but he somehow couldn't quite leave Roy. He could feel the creaking of Roy's ribs with each breath. He knew his friend was in trouble too.

"Aaron," the man said. "What do we do now?"

Johnny sighed heavily. As much as he wanted desperately to have something to do, there wasn't anything. "We wait. They'll have to dig us out again."

"Great. That's just great. So much for seeing the light at the end of the tunnel," Aaron stated as he settled down beside his three friends. Well, at least waiting was something he was getting more used to doing.

_A/N: I'm so sorry! This is terribly short and terribly late. No excuses. Well, not really. Unfortunately my muse is still being fitful. I'll update as soon as it starts behaving itself again. Hopefully this will help tie you over till then._

_P.S. Jed is from 'Bedlam', Aaron and Spence are of course from 'Criminal Minds' but based more on the actors than the characters. And Nick is from 'Grimm'. As always, it just helps to write when I can visualize people's faces. _

_Thank you very much for your patience. I plan to do better._

_Susanne_


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

"How bad is it?" Johnny asked as he settled in beside his partner. He could hear Roy's hitched breathing in the dark.

"Bad enough," Roy responded in a breathy voice. It was hard to breathe. The last thing he needed was to carry on a long conversation.

"Great," Johnny stated, unconsciously echoing Aaron's earlier statement.

"Go check on them," Roy instructed. It would help the older paramedic to calm down a bit if he knew that the others were being taken care of. It would also help to not have his partner hovering quite so close.

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked. Even in this confined area he hated to leave his partner.

"Go," Roy said. It was all that would come out.

Reluctantly, Johnny moved away from his stricken friend to examine the other men. There wasn't a whole lot he could do in the dark but he was at least able to check for broken bones and the like. Luckily, the only one he found was Spence's. With help from Aaron and the others, they managed to get the pipe off Spence's leg but that only seemed to cause the young man more pain now that the pressure was off.

"How much longer are we going to have to wait?" Aaron pushed. He was sitting against the wall, Spencer pulled up into his lap while the younger man trembled from the pain ravaging his system. They needed to get the hell out of here. Now.

"How would I know?" Johnny threw back. This was all starting to get on his nerves. Why were they in this mess to begin with? Logically he knew the why and the how but at the moment he didn't feel like being that charitable.

"You were supposed to be rescuing us," Jed growled. The walls were closing in on him rapidly. The sounds Spencer was making as the pain pulsed up his leg weren't helping the situation either.

"Don't remind me," Johnny growled back. Unable to do anything else, Johnny moved back over to Roy and began digging around his partner's legs. It was better than sitting still. The young paramedic really hated sitting still, especially in the dark.

Silence fell in the hole. None of the men were feeling particularly charitable at the moment. The only sounds were Spencer's occasional grunts and groans as he rode the waves of pain. Somehow this was so much worse than when his leg had been caught under the pipe. Resting against Aaron's chest, he tried to ignore how vulnerable it made him feel. Instead, he concentrated on the warmth his friend was providing him. That alone might be the difference between surviving this or not.

Roy grunted as Johnny pulled his left leg loose from the dirt. It had been the least buried of the two. While not having the weight of the cave in pressed against his leg was a relief, moving it had awakened his ribs that had finally fallen silent. Breathing wasn't any easier but at least he didn't feel like he was suffocating.

"Sorry," Johnny apologized as he moved over to Roy's other leg. While he dug he could vaguely hear sounds beyond the dirt. Apparently the others were getting closer. The relief this realization caused him wasn't enough to cause Johnny to stop digging. He was close enough to Roy to know he was in trouble. His breathing was going downhill with each passing minute. And all of the equipment was buried.

Just as Johnny found Roy's knee, he felt a hand brush against his own. Then the wall of dirt disappeared and Roy's leg was free.

"Did you call for room service?" Swain asked as he panned a flashlight through the hole they'd created in the wall of dirt.

"Am I glad to see you," Johnny breathed. Within seconds the men had the hole increased to the point that Swain and Spider both slid inside. Their flashlights were welcome in the dark space.

"Who do we need to get out first?" Swain asked. They'd pulled a Stokes stretcher in with them. It was heaped with medical equipment, including an O2 tank.

"We have a broken femur and Roy. I think his ribs are broken," Johnny responded as he got out of the way. Quickly, the two men lifted Roy up into the Stokes. They were as careful as they could be in the cramped space but Roy passed out anyway as his ribs rubbed together. While it increased Johnny's anxiety, it actually helped move the older paramedic easier.

Once they had Roy through the hole and passed off to Buffer and ET, Swain and Spider accepted another Stokes and pulled it into the hole. It was a tight squeeze but they managed, with Johnny and Aaron's help to lift Spencer up into the Stokes, strap him down and hand him too to the men waiting on the other side.

"I should go with them," Johnny stated as he tried to slip through the hole as well. He hated to be separated from Roy. Who the hell knew what was going to help while they were apart. Their batting average hadn't been particularly good of late.

"It's okay, doc," Spider said, resting a hand on Johnny's shoulder. "The other two paramedics are outside, waiting to treat all of the injured."

Reluctantly, Johnny agreed to remain in the hole while the other three men were carefully extracted. Then, after what had felt like an eternity, the LA County paramedic slipped out of the hole into the relative great spaces of the corridor beyond.

"Where's Roy?" Johnny asked as he looked around the area beyond the corridor they'd dug. He'd expected to find his partner and Spence as soon as he came through the end. Fear spiked through him when he found the other three men from the hole but no sign of the other two.

"They've been taken to the helicopter that's been waiting for you," Buffer replied. He and the others had each caught hold of an injured man and began shepherding them toward the stairs.

"Thank you," Johnny stated as he followed, the few bags he'd been able to rescue clutched in his hands.

OOOOO

Out in the street, Johnny found Toby and Oz loading Roy and Spence onto the racks on the sides of the helicopter. Aaron and the others were being loaded into the body of the copter. The sun on Johnny's face felt like heaven after the confines of the basement. He paused for a moment to enjoy the sensation before heading to the copter. There was no way in hell they were leaving without him.

Climbing aboard, Johnny glanced into the pilot's seat and was only mildly surprised to see Sheppard. There was an unmistakable grin on the man's face as he carefully lifted the copter off the ground and headed back towards the base.

"Thanks for finding them," Sheppard called over his shoulder while he concentrated on not ploughing into any telephone lines.

"I had a lot of help," Johnny replied as he glanced over at Toby and Oz. The two paramedics were taking the life signs of the three walking wounded. They'd all ready checked on Roy and Spencer. The sooner they go them to the hospital the better. They didn't want to waste any time on a more extensive examination.

With Moose Jaw being such a small town it only took minutes to reach the base. Johnny was thankful for this as Roy was starting to look a little blue. He knew that the older paramedic was having trouble breathing. Johnny tried to not berate himself for allowing his friend/partner to come on the rescue in the first place. Roy was injured. He needed to rest, not race off to become even more damaged.

While he watched the world slip past beyond the runner of the helicopter, Johnny stared at Roy as grimaces passed over his face. Cursing under his breath, Johnny glanced over Sheppard's shoulder to see how close they were. He was grateful to see the hospital just a quarter of a mile away. The descent took an eternity and a second at the same time. Sheppard had been speaking with the hospital personnel on the trip in so they were waiting patiently outside the front door, two gurneys and a couple of wheelchairs within reach.

Then the doors to the helicopter were being pulled open and doctors and orderlies were descending on Roy and Spence. The two men were lifted quickly and carefully onto the gurneys and rushed towards the hospital. Johnny didn't even have a chance to catch up as the walking wounded got in his way. Rather than mow them down as his instinct told him to, Johnny helped the orderlies, Oz and Toby load the injured into the wheelchairs and push them towards the hospital as well.

"More customers, Mr. Gage?" the doctor asked as he directed the chairs to examine rooms.

"I thought you were getting bored," Johnny quipped as he looked around for Roy. Panic threatened when Johnny realized he couldn't see him.

"Your partner is in the room at the end of the hall. I think they're getting ready to take x-rays, again," the doctor stated, intuitively understanding the frantic expression on the paramedic's face.

"Thanks, doc," Johnny said as he practically sprinted down the hall. He passed Oz and Toby who were dealing with Spence in another examine room.

The cry of pain as Johnny strode into the room brought the young paramedic up short. He knew that voice. The next instant he was bounding through the door, ready to beat the crap out of whoever was hurting his friend. He'd recognized that voice instantly despite its strained nature.

"What the hell is going on here?" Johnny demanded before he had time to register what was happening.

"We're treating someone. Please leave," a woman Johnny realized must be the doctor growled. He saw Roy lying on a table, naked from the waist up, a sheet covering his lower half. There were dark, ugly bruises covering several areas of his torso. His eyes were closed and small groans escaped with every breath.

"He's my partner. We're paramedics from Los Angeles County. I'm not leaving," Johnny growled back. There was no way in hell he was leaving.

"He's okay," Sheppard said as he stepped into the room. He wanted to check on the men who saved his friends. The helicopter was still parked on the tarmac but there wasn't anywhere else he needed to be for the next half hour or so.

The doctor glared at Sheppard before turning her attention back to Roy. "Being a friend of yours is not necessarily a ringing endorsement."

"Oh, come on. You know you love me," Sheppard responded, a mischievous grin on his face. "How's he doing?"

"We're just about to find out," the doctor responded. "if you two gentlemen would move, we'd take a couple of x-rays and find out for sure where we stand."

Johnny had been so intent on his friend that he hadn't spotted the x-ray tech and his rolling machine standing impatiently behind him. Without a word, Johnny slid into the corner of the room while the man set up the shots the doctor asked of him.

"Roy is in good hands," Sheppard said as he joined Johnny. He could see the concern written all over the younger paramedic's face. He imagined it was the same expression that had been on his own face while his friends were missing.

"I just want to take him home," Johnny admitted. He really hated to be away from familiar surroundings, familiar people, when things this wrong happened. At least during the earthquake he'd known where they were and who the medical personnel were. Here, he had to depend on what others told him.

"I'll see what I can do," Sheppard stated. There was no way Roy could travel on a commercial flight. He wasn't even sure if the man should be travelling at all but he could certainly understand the need to be home. With one last look at the man on the bed, he left the room.

_A/N: Hello. I hope someone is still waiting for this story. I'm trying to get all of my stories done but it just hasn't been coming. Please be patient. I promise I will finish this one and the other two stories I have going. _

_I hope you enjoy what my struggling brain came up with._

_Thanks for sticking with me._

_Susanne_


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

After being shepherded out of the room while the x-rays were taken, Johnny was allowed to return to his friend's side. Roy was unconscious or sedated it was hard to tell which. Johnny could hear the raspy breaths. Combined with the awful bruises on his sides, Johnny knew Roy probably had a collapsed lung on top of all his other ills.

The nurse was busy trying to wipe the dirt off of Roy's face, neck and torso while the doctor waited for the x-rays. Roy looked dirtier than Johnny could ever remember seeing him, even after fighting raging fires.

"What's going on?" Roy rasped as his eyes flickered open.

"You're at the hospital," Johnny said as he stepped forward. He caught hold of Roy's nearest hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"How are the others?" Roy asked. His eyes scanned the room but his head didn't move. It hurt too much. At the moment every muscle in his body seemed to be screaming in protest.

"They're in the other rooms," Johnny hedged. He hadn't taken the time to find out for sure how they were. Roy was his only real concern at the moment.

"They should be okay," the nurse put in. It was going to take a little surgery on a few of them but none of their injuries were life threatening.

"Good," Roy said as his eyes slid shut again. He was exhausted beyond imagining. Even the pain couldn't keep him from slipping into oblivion.

"Okay," the female doctor said as she entered the room, a large envelope in her hand. Turning toward the wall, she pulled the x-rays out of the envelope and clipped them to the light boards. Johnny let go of Roy's hand and moved over until he too could examine the images. "Well, no surprises there."

The doctor left the wall and walked over to Roy, giving the nurse orders as she went. "We're going to have to take you into surgery," she explained. "It should be fairly routine. But we need to start As soon as possible."

"Do whatever you need to, doctor. I want to get him home as soon as I can," Johnny stated. The doctor nodded at the nurse who began prepping Roy. Catching hold of Roy's hand, Johnny squeezed it for a moment before exiting the room. There was nothing else he could do for his friend at the moment. As much as he hated to leave him, he knew the doctor wasn't going to let him into surgery.

Standing in the hallway, only partially aware of all the people and noise around him, Johnny stared at the floor while he tried to figure out what to do now. His hotel room had apparently been ripped into oblivion along with half the town. God he wished he was home.

"How's your friend?" Sheppard asked as he joined Johnny leaning up against the wall.

"They're taking him into surgery," Johnny responded. He was grateful for a familiar face in the sea of people around him. Glancing further up the hallway, he saw Oz and Toby heading towards him. Well, there were three familiar faces now.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" Sheppard asked. He acknowledged the other two paramedics as they came to join them before turning his attention to Johnny. He was really worried about the guy. He looked like he was on his last legs.

"Yeah, I think so," Johnny replied. He knew that Chris and her family would take him in for the night or for the week if he needed it. There was no way he was going home without his partner. If it meant staying in Canada that long, he'd do it. "But I don't want to leave until I know Roy came through the surgery all right."

The door Johnny was standing beside opened and the nurse and doctor pushed Roy through it. The older paramedic was as white as the sheets that were wrapped around him. His blue eyes were closed. Johnny wasn't used to seeing his friend so still. It gave him the creeps as Roy was whisked by them on his way to surgery.

"Okay," Sheppard said as he looked at the rather forlorn three men standing around him. "You're going to come with me to the bachelor quarters here on base. We'll wait there until there's word of your friend."

"Then what?" Toby inquired. He too was feeling a tremendous need to return to familiar surroundings. Not having a bed to sleep in for the night was a very unnerving feeling. It reminded him too much of his childhood.

"I'll get you to where you need to go for the night," Sheppard responded. It was getting dark out. Even if more flights were needed, the lack of light prevented him from going up. After the tornado, there weren't even any street lights left for him to navigate by. Clapping Johnny on the shoulder, he led the three men towards the front door. They all needed a break from the chaos.

OOOOO

Exhausted, Johnny collapsed on Chris's couch. Sheppard had given the paramedic one of the radios the Forces were using in case the doctor at the hospital needed to get hold of him. Oz and Toby were situated in the basement. Chris and her family had been more than happy to see the three of them on their front step even if it was one in the morning. It had only taken them a few minutes to set up three beds for them. Johnny had elected to sleep on the couch because that was where Roy had slept the night before.

"I'm glad you're okay," Chris said as she looked at Johnny one last time. It had been a long day. She was more than ready to go to sleep but worry for Roy was making that a little harder. "Let me know if they contact you."

"Yes," Johnny responded. His eyes were closing despite his best efforts to keep them open. The radio was cradled in his hand with the volume turned up. There was no way he was going to miss it if they called.

OOOOO

Early that morning Johnny was back at the hospital. Roy had come through the surgery with flying colors. He was resting in recovery, the worst of his injuries healed as much as they could get in such a short time. Seeing his friend looking more like himself, Johnny smiled as he moved over to the bed.

"How are you doing?" Johnny asked. Roy's blue eyes were open and clear of pain for the first time in a long time. They were also a little dopey so Johnny assumed the apparent absence of pain had more to do with good pain medication than actual lack of it.

"I'm good," Roy responded, his words only a little slurred. He had a crooked grin on his face. Whatever they were giving him had to be pretty strong.

"Yeah, you look it." Johnny couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. It was the first time he'd ever seen his partner and friend looped. It was amusing to say the least.

"Good morning, Mr. Gage," the doctor said as she entered the room.

"Good morning. How is he doing?" Johnny asked. Roy was staring out the window, a dreamy expression on his face.

"He's out of the woods. Given a few days rest and he should be ready to travel," the woman said. She knew how badly the two men wanted to get home. She couldn't really blame them. At least their homes weren't smashed into match sticks at the moment.

"That's good news," Johnny said, feeling relief for the first time since the tornado struck. There was finally light at the end of the tunnel.

"Can I go home now?" Roy asked, his eyes having been drawn from the window to his friend. He really hated hospitals.

"He's on some pretty strong pain killers, as I'm sure you've noticed, but he should be all right to leave. Do you have a place to stay?" If Johnny was anyone else there was no way she'd release Roy. He was too far out of it. But, Johnny was a paramedic and knew what to watch for. Roy would be more comfortable in a regular bed any way.

"Yes, we have friends here," Johnny replied. Chris had driven him here. He could tell from the woman's face that she hadn't gotten much sleep either. She was out in the hallway waiting to see Roy for herself.

"I'll write up some discharge orders and get you two on your way," the doctor said. Moving to the end of Roy's bed, she picked up the clipboard hanging there and left, headed for the nurse's station.

"You hear that, pally, we're getting you out of here," Johnny said, smiling down at his friend. Roy smiled back but seemed to be more interested in the tune he was humming haphazardly. It didn't sound familiar but Roy seemed to be enjoying it. It was going to be a long couple of days.

OOOOO

The trip of the front stairs as Chris's house was interesting but without too much trouble, the duo had Roy resting comfortably on the couch. It seemed like an eternity since Chris had last seen the senior paramedic on that very couch. Feeling content, she watched Johnny fuss over his friend while Oz and Toby hovered. It was actually kind of touching.

"How long until the doctor said he could travel?" Chris asked. She was in no rush for the men to leave but she knew they all had lives to get back to.

"In a few days," Johnny responded. "We could try to move back to our hotel if it's too much of a bother."

"Don't even think about it," Chris stated. "I'd be insulted if you did. It'll give us time to really catch up and maybe make some memories that don't involve imminent disaster."

"That would be a good thing," Johnny said as he looked down at his friend. The drugs had won and Roy was sleeping. Chances were that was what he would be doing for the next few days anyway.

"How about breakfast?" Chris suggested. It was too early for lunch and she was ravenous.

"What do you have?" Toby asked.

"Well, today we're going to have to go with dry cereal and peanut butter and bread. The food in the fridge has all ready started to turn," Chris responded. "We'll see about getting fresh stuff this afternoon. I hear some of the stores on north hill still have power."

"Dry cereal sounds wonderful," Tobey said. He could hear Oz muttering behind him. His partner wasn't always as tactful as Toby would like.

"It'll do for now," Chris said. They were all safe and had a roof over their heads. The lack of choice in food was better than having none at all. Nothing else really mattered. Grinning, she turned to her cupboards and started pulling stuff out. It was time to party.

OOOOO

The next two days passed quietly. Chris and her family were able to buy some fresh food which improved everyone's spirits. Even Roy woke up enough to eat on occasion.

By the third day Roy began refusing the full dosage of his pain meds. He didn't like being that out of it. Besides, things didn't really hurt as badly any more. At least that was his argument with Johnny. For his part, the younger paramedic backed off. He hadn't really liked seeing his partner that doped up either.

Toby and Oz spent their time checking on the neighbours and helping to make meals. At the moment the two paramedics were barbecuing hamburgers on the back deck. A lot of cooking was being done on the BBQ. It was easier than the stove.

The front door rang. Chris and her parents were out in the yard, still trying to clean up the gardens from the tornado. Roy was sleeping lightly on the couch. Being unofficially elected, Johnny climbed down the stairs and opened the door.

"Howdy," Sheppard said, a huge grin on his face. It was the first time they'd seen the man since the hospital. Johnny wasn't even sure he knew where they were. A couple of MP's had driven him to Chris's that night.

"Hi," Johnny responded, a little unsure of what was going on. He was happy to see the man but there was an energy flowing out of him that seemed a little too bright. He was up to something.

"Do you have your bags packed?" Sheppard asked. He was waiting for the paramedic to invite him in. So far he was out of luck.

"We don't really have bags anymore," Johnny responded. Behind him he could hear Oz and Toby coming in the back door.

"That's good. That'll make getting you home easier. There's a flight leaving in an hour from the base, headed for San Francisco. I assume the two of you can get a ride home from there," Sheppard said.

Johnny felt his knees almost go out from under him in relief. San Francisco was almost home! It was even in the right state. He couldn't believe his good luck. Turning up the stairs, he called up "We're going home!"

That brought Roy around instantly. Sitting up as carefully as he could manage while still moving as quickly as he could, Roy made his way to the stairway. A crooked grin played across his pale face. "Really?" he asked, not believing his ears.

"Say your goodbyes, we're ready to go," Sheppard said. He looked at the younger paramedics. "Sorry, no flights to Ontario yet. I'll get you on one as soon as I can."

"Thanks," Toby said. All flights out of Regina and Saskatoon had been cancelled for the foreseeable future. The two were seriously considering renting a car to drive home. If only they had the money an endeavour like that would require.

"No problem." Johnny and Roy had headed out the back door to tell Chris and her family the good news. They knew the woman would be happy for them to return while being sad at their leaving. They both had similar feelings as well.

"Why don't you come in?" Toby suggested. He'd finally noticed that the pilot was still standing out on the front step.

"Thank you," Sheppard replied as he stepped into the house, carefully shutting the door behind him. Out on the street a military vehicle waited for the trio. He wasn't taking any chances of the two men missing their flight.

The back door opened and Chris and the others came in from the back yard. The family was obviously happy for the LA paramedics but Sheppard could see that joy tempered slightly with sadness on Chris's part. She liked having them around. She was also worried about Roy travelling in his current state but at least Johnny would be with him every step of the way.

"You have to take a lunch," Chris's mom said as she headed for the kitchen. True to mother form, she didn't want the two men to go without eating for the whole trip home. "I do have time to make some sandwiches, right?"

OOOOO

The plane was on the tarmac as the car pulled up. Johnny and Roy were in the back seat. It all seemed like a dream. They were really going home. Glancing at Roy, the young paramedic hoped they were ready for this. The car ride had drained what little color he'd had in his face.

"Are you up for this?" Johnny asked as he climbed out of the car. On the other side, Roy was carefully extracting his protesting body from the back seat.

"Are you kidding? There's no way I'm missing this flight," Roy responded. He plastered a smile on his face despite the pain that flashed. He'd stopped taking the pain killers. They were too powerful. He'd switched it for Tylenol without Johnny noticing.

"There will be more flights if it'll be a problem," Johnny said. They were following Sheppard across the asphalt towards the waiting plane. Crew were going over it, doing the pre-flight checks. Somehow seeing them do it made Johnny feel more hopeful about the flight. At least nothing should go wrong.

"No. I'm fine," Roy assured his friend. To prove the point, he quickly climbed the stairs to the body of the plane. He wasn't going to be left behind.

"Whatever you say," Johnny said, a small smile on his face. They were going home. Nothing else mattered. Reaching the top of the stairs, Johnny made sure he located the first aid kit before he settled into the indicated seat. He put the bag of food Chris's mom had given them under his seat. It seemed like the best place for it. Then he looked over at Roy on the other side of the plane.

"I'm fine," Roy insisted. He'd felt his friend's eyes on him and knew his concerns immediately. He flanked around the inside of the plane. It was huge. He knew it was military but he had no idea which type. It had seats along the sides of it with a large empty area in the middle. The inside of the plane was filled with boxes. The boxes were completely nondescript but were all the same size. Looking at them some more, Roy decided he didn't really care what they contained. So long as the boxes had to be delivered to California he was satisfied.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts. We are five minutes away from take off. No smoking either," Sheppard's voice said over the PA system in the plane. The crew member that was in the body of the plane with the paramedics checked to make sure they were secured before taking his own seat near the front of the plane. He was uglier than most stewardesses Johnny was used to dealing with but that was okay.

Ignoring Johnny's many glances, Roy settled into his chair for the long ride home. Breathing a sigh of relief, Roy rested his head against the chair. The tension of the last several days began to drain from his body as the plane engine whined and they began taxing toward the runway. They were headed home. As much as there were good times in their trip to Moose Jaw, Roy was just as happy to leave it behind. He'd come back some day, he imagined they both would, but not for a while. Once they reached Los Angles, Roy planned to spend months just enjoying being home.

The plane engine's whine increased in pitch as Sheppard began take off. Resting his forehead against the small window beside his seat, Roy watched as the too familiar Saskatchewan soil began to fall away. As they passed over the highway at the end of the runway, he saw a Jeep parked on the shoulder, Chris watching the plane as it passed over head. Smiling, Roy barely kept from waving at her. There was no way she could see him but he appreciated the gesture. No. Not everything from Moose Jaw had been bad.

"Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen," Johnny called from the other side of the plane, he couldn't see Chris. "Next stop, California."

"Thank God," Roy breathed. Popping a couple more Tylenol, he ignored the aches and pains of his battered body. They were headed home.

THE END

_A/N: Hello! The ending kind of sucked. Sorry about that. I've said it before, I suck at them. But, since joining this site I've insisted on finishing every story I start. I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed sharing it with you. Thank you very much for all your support and patience, it's really meant a lot to me during some trying times in my life since I began this._

_Take care._

_Susanne_


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